New RAV4 struts its stuff

Some buyers of used RAV4 imports have found out too late that the four-wheel-drive they bought is in fact a two-wheel-drive.

Toyota New Zealand never brought the front-drive model - the RAV2 - into the country. It was a Japanese domestic model only and turned up here second-hand.

Toyota won't bring the front-drive version of the new RAV model into New Zealand either. It will stick to the four-paw RAV4 (pictured).

The new town-and-around Toyota has been heavily restyled and will go on sale later this year. The three and five-door models are the same length as the current cars but are wider and taller, for more cabin and headroom.

The RAV4 is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, uprated for more torque. Both models are expected to be launched at the same time.