Toyota has taken its perfectly unassuming crossover, the RAV4, and turned it into a rally-ready off-roader. The resulting Toyota RAV-X shows that this city-dwelling model can be both a daily driver and a desert racer.
Unveiled at the 2024 Specialty Equipment Marketing Association Show (SEMA), the RAV-X starts with a RAV4 PHEV and a dream of taking it to the Dakar Rally.
The base car is almost unrecognizable in its off-road armor. Wearing a combination of 3D-printed parts and completely overhauled suspension, the RAV-X is taller, louder, and meaner than its urban counterpart. Those angry headlights stare commandingly, and the Dakar-inspired bumper ties the facade together. The skidplate is branded with a large ‘RAV-X’ and is tucked just below the cooling ducts. More such branding can be seen on the rocker panels, the wheels, and other surfaces throughout the exterior.
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Shod in off-road 265/65 R17 tires, the 17-inch aluminum wheels stand out thanks to the RAV-X’s custom suspension. Behind those beefy tires are 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks that work with a dual-speed compression system to smooth out the drive on sand, dirt, and other rough terrain.
Next to a common RAV4, the RAV-X is about two inches taller and also six inches wider, thanks to the spoiler at the back and fender flares on each corner. Those components, along with the cooling ducts on the front, shape an aerodynamically optimized hybrid crossover that pumps out 302hp.
Being a concept, it likely will not receive a public release, but perhaps the right rally enthusiant can pick up a RAV4 at their local Toyota dealer and create something similar.
More photos of the Toyota RAV-X at SEMA 2024:
