Toyota has revealed a one-off stretched RAV4, which was built in 6 months by their factory workers.

A RAV4 stretched 31.5 inches longer

Toyota has launched the RAV4 in April 2019 after a 3 year absence from the Japanese market. Although the model ended its sale due to its sluggish sales, the new model is gaining popularity as the best-selling SUV in Japan.

The RAV4 is selectable from two types of powertrains, a 2-liter gasoline model, and a 2.5-liter hybrid model. One feature that makes this SUV very different from other SUVs is the use of three different 4WD systems.

Two types of 4WD systems are available for the gasoline model. In addition to front and rear torque distribution depending on the driving conditions, the newly developed “Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD” is the world’s first system that independently controls the rear wheel torque on both sides, and shuts off the power to the rear wheels when 4WD driving is deemed unnecessary to improve fuel economy.

For the hybrid model, a new E-Four system which inherits the latest hybrid technology is adopted. In addition to increasing the maximum torque at the rear and controlling the torque distribution between the front and rear, the increased torque at the rear makes the vehicle more secure when starting uphill in slippery situations such as snow and rain.

In terms of safety and comfort, all models are equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) as a standard equipment. Parking assist combined with automated braking is also available, which audibly and visually warns the driver when the car detects stationary objects or vehicles approaching from the rear. It is also equipped with the same connected services as the Toyota Prius.

And now, Toyota has made an official stretched version of the popular SUV. But why?

“This is a special model made by 200 to 300 workers at the Takaoka Plant, where the RAV4 is manufactured daily. These workers gather up after work to build this stretched model, which took about half a year to complete. The motivation behind this project was to make the RAV4 more exciting from the manufacturing side.”, explains the person in charge of this project.

“We don’t have any specific plans to launch this model for the market, but we hope it will be some kind of an excitement.”

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An ordinary RAV4 has a dimension of 4600 mm x 1855 mm x 1690 mm (181.1 in. x 73.0 in. x 66.5 in.). But this stretch has extended its overall length by 800 mm (31.5 in.), with additional ceiling, sides, and floor parts to match the extended part.

A spacious, roomy cabin like a limousine is there for you in the rear seats. The hood and interior were decorated by the engineers with unique designs, and the side panels for the extended part were handcrafted by the factory’s professionals, creating an edgy design which you cannot find in a normal model.

Also, the body color was painted with an exclusive orange paint, which is not available in the Japanese market.

The car totally handles with a relaxed atmosphere, just like a real limousine. No events are currently planned to reveal this special model to the public, but it would be interesting if there are more opportunities to show the excellence of these people behind the scenes.