October 30, 2020

Yes, There's Actually a Toyota RAV4 Under There


There’s just something with the Toyota RAV4 that’s tickling the fancy of Japanese tuners. From a Lamborghini Urus lookalike, the latest one is this: the Mitsuoka Buddy.

Known as one of Japan’s most…errr…unique coachbuilders (Google the Mitsuoka Orochi), they’ve gotten their hands on the RAV4. Peppering it with 1980s American truck styling cues, the result is the retro-styled Buddy.


Mitsuoka’s done a lot of work with entirely new front- and rear-ends, fenders, and tailgate. Upfront, it gets two-piece rectangular headlights and a chrome grille that incorporates the LED DRLs. The bumper also gets a dash of chrome reminiscent of 1980s steel bumpers, while the hood and fenders were made boxier. At the back, the Mitsuoka’s swapped the RAV4’s conventional taillights for vertical LED pieces, while a new hatch shape gives it a more truckish design. The retro transformation is completed by the optional vintage-looking wheels.

The Japanese tuner has yet to reveal the Buddy’s interior, but expect the same kind of retro styling details inside.


Despite the aesthetic transformation though, the Buddy is pretty much a bone-stock RAV4 underneath. This means, buyers can opt, at least in Japan, a conventional gasoline 2.0-liter turbocharged engine or a 2.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid.

It goes on sale in Japan in November.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Feel free to comment or share your views. Comments that are derogatory and/or spam will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to moderate and/or remove comments.