Fancy a 400+HP Toyota GR RAV4? Ask.

• Toyota says a 2.4L turbo engine can fit inside the new RAV4.

• The RAV4 GR Sport has a 324-hp plug-in hybrid powertrain.

• A full GR RAV4 would require customer demand and eventual corporate approval.

The new sixth-generation RAV4 GR Sport is the most powerful factory RAV4 yet, using an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid system rated at a solid 324 hp. Toyota has positioned it at the top of the model’s totem pole with performance-oriented tuning from its GR engineering division, rather than as a full GR model, one that remains theoretical for now.

The possibility of a more aggressive RAV4 surfaced after chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane said in an interview that Toyota’s 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine fits in the latest crossover’s engine bay.

“We could actually fit a 2.4L turbo in that engine compartment,” Futonagane said through an interpreter.

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The engine, known as the T24A-FTS, is already used in several Toyota and Lexus products. In the hybrid MAX Crown, it delivers 340 hp. In SUV applications, on its own, it’s good for between 265 and 326 hp. In the RX500h, also with hybrid technology and Direct4 all-wheel drive, total output is 367 horsepower.

This number exceeds the RAV4 GR Sport’s quoted 324 hp, potentially creating a far faster and more powerful RAV4 without relying on a plug-in hybrid battery pack, and easily producing north of 400 hp. At this point, no such program has been approved.

The remaining barrier appears to be a business case based on consumer interest, not physical limitations. Futonagane said there are “no official plans at the moment,” adding that Toyota would need stronger evidence of customer demand and internal support before a turbocharged GR RAV4 could move forward.

“If people started making a noise and saying, ‘Yeah, we want a 2.4L turbo, it might end up on the agenda,” he said.

Even if Toyota studies the idea, the existing 2.4L turbo may not be the long-term answer. The automaker is developing a new family of 1.5L and 2.0L four-cylinder engines that can use different levels of turbocharging and hybrid assistance. Those engines are expected to support future Toyota and GR products.

Finally, a potential GR RAV4 would need further chassis upgrades beyond those fitted to the current GR Sport. This model already receives lightweight 20-inch wheels, retuned suspension with performance dampers, revised electric power steering, a wider track, and extra rear bracing to improve body control. A full-fat GR RAV4 would certainly require a brake job, to start.

For now, Toyota has confirmed only that a serious turbocharged RAV4 is technically possible. Whether it becomes a production model depends on you, the customers, who’ve typically embraced hot compact SUVs.

Source: Drive