Toyota Raize

Toyota carries the mixed essence of simplicity and aggression of the exterior of the Raize in its cabin as well. While the interior of the Toyota Raize looks clean and has less visual drama, the SUV gets a few modern features to appeal to the younger masses.

The driver’s cockpit of the Toyota Raize has a simple-looking three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel with a digital instrument console, which has a TFT MID within it. The centre console of the dashboard also looks fuss-free with a free-standing infotainment system above the sleek-looking hexagonal AC vents with silver surrounds. The lower part of the centre console has simple-looking switches for manual climate control, which are also present within a trapezoidal housing.

The Toyota Raize is decently equipped with features like audio, Bluetooth, and cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay connectivity for the 8-inch infotainment system, 4-speaker audio system, and 60:40 split rear seats.

The Toyota Raize might be compact, but that doesn’t make it look less like an SUV. The overall boxy design and upright stance of the Toyota Raize are very much SUV-like, which does give it a smart urban road presence, something which is not often seen in compact monocoque SUVs.

At the front, the Toyota Raize has an aggressive fascia, which comprises a huge trapezoidal grille with honeycomb inserts, covering most of the front bumper design. There is a sleek upper grille with the Toyota logo in the middle, which stretches horizontally toward the trapezoidal headlamps on either side. These headlamps are LED units in the higher-spec G variant, while the lower corners of the front bumper get fog lamps and turn indicators integrated into vertical housings.

Move towards the side profile, and the Toyota Raize impresses with its upright bonnet and high ground clearance. To ensure that it appeals to younger masses who are new to buying cars, the Toyota Raize comes with nice feel-good elements like diamond-cut alloy wheels and wheel arch and door cladding, the latter of which also gives it a rugged look.

The rear profile of the Toyota Raize consists of a wraparound design for the rear windscreen, which extends towards the wide C-pillars on the sides. The rest of the design of the boot lid at the back comes with combination tail lamps with LED inserts joined by a thick black garnish. The flared sides of the rear bumper, along with faux vents integrated into their corners, make the Toyota Raize look butch from the rear.

The light steering setup and compact dimensions of the Toyota Raize make it an easy compact SUV for the driver. The comfort of the SUV is further assured by the soft-tuned suspension setup of the Raize. The Raize measures 4030mm long, 1710mm wide, and 1635mm tall while having a wheelbase of 2525mm.

There are two engine options, which Toyota is offering for the Raize in the UAE. The base-spec E variant comes with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which produces 87 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque. The higher-spec G variant has a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which pumps out 97 bhp of power output and 140 Nm of torque output. Both the engine options are offered with a CVT gearbox as standard. While the 1.2-litre petrol engine delivers 20.2 kmpl, the turbo-petrol engine claims 19.3 kmpl.

The essential safety equipment list of the Toyota Raize comprises dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, an e-call system, vehicle stability control, hill start assist, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and rear parking sensors. The G variant of the Raize also comes with a reverse camera.

With easy drivability, impressive fuel economy figures, and a spacious cabin, the Toyota Raize pretty much ticks many boxes for first-time car buyers looking out for a compact and budget-friendly SUV.