2020 Toyota Raize Preview – Smaller than C-HR, Looks Like RAV4 – And We Want It

By Steve & Tamami Laser

It’s Raize weekend at Toyota dealers across Japan where this new small crossover has gone on sale. Smaller than the C-HR, and dressed with RAV4-inspired styling, Raize is built by Daihatsu, and also sold as the Rocky with slightly different styling.

Toyota calls the Raize a “compact SUV small passenger car.” It caters to the desires of customers who “want to drive an SUV, who want to load their cars with a lot of luggage, but who also wish to have a car that is compact and easy to drive.”

Raize and Rocky are built on Daihatsu’s next-generation DNGA platform and feature new powertrains. Under the hood is a 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder 1KR-VET engine that’s said to deliver performance on par with a larger 1.5-liter. The standard D-CVT transmission transfers power to the front wheels, or all four when equipped with available Dynamic Torque Control 4WD.

Compared to the Toyota C-HR, Raize and Rocky are about a foot shorter, some 4 inches narrower, and ride on a wheelbase that’s about 4 inches shorter (yet they are not Kei cars, or mini-vehicles, which are even smaller).

Bold, angular styling gives Raize a robust, SUV-like look, enhanced with muscular fenders and 17-inch wheels. Raise is equipped with an array of advanced technologies, including Adaptive Cruise Control with All Speed Tracking, and Smart Panorama Parking Assist.

Raize offers flexible storage solutions with a movable cargo deck board for added convenience. Toyota says the new model boasts “class-leading” luggage capacity for a compact SUV, with 369 liters when the deck board is in the low position.

The interior features a fresh, modern design with instrument panel and controls positioned for ease of use. The driver can select between four different styles for the 7-inch TFT color LED display: “Analog, Advanced, Simple, and Exciting.”

Seats are designed for comfort and support with front buckets offering sporty-style bolsters and red-accent trim contributing to the ambience. A wide array of interior and exterior customization features are available via Toyota Original Accessories, Toyota Modellista, and TRD.

Raize offers a smartphone-friendly 9-inch audio display that enables users to access apps catering to SmartDeviceLink™ and Apple CarPlay™.  Toyota says that SmartDeviceLink™ enables navigation apps, such as LINE CarNavi, to be used with the display.

Raize is available now at Toyota, Toyopet, Toyota Corolla, and Netz dealers in Japan. Toyota also plans to offer the Raize through its Kinto One car subscription service.

While Toyota already offers a wide range of crossovers in America, we think there’s room for another. (Checking the specs, we see that Raize is about the same size as the departed Scion xB.)


Note: Features and specifications for Japanese market models are subject to change without notice

News sources and photos courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

Story (intro and commentary) © 2019 CarNichiWa.com