Fast Lane: New Toyota RAV4 here in 2026, ride in Kia EV5 on a rooftop track
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Hot SUV: The new Toyota RAV4 is expected to arrive in Singapore in 2026.
PHOTO: TOYOTA
Toyota RAV4 here in 2026
The latest Toyota RAV4 was unveiled on May 21 and the car is going to be in Singapore in 2026.
This is the first time that the mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) is available in the GR Sport trim.
Besides having a more sporty-looking bodykit over the Core and Adventure versions of the RAV4, the GR Sport has a 20mm wider wheel track, performance suspension dampers, a strengthened rear suspension brace and a specifically tuned steering system.
All three versions have slightly different front-end and wheel arch moulding designs.
The interior looks more rugged than the current-generation RAV4, which has been on sale in Singapore since 2019 and was facelifted in 2022.
With the rear seats in use, the new car has a boot capacity of 749 litres, up from 733 litres before. The car will also have Toyota’s new multimedia system, which is more customisable and responsive than earlier versions.
In terms of powertrain, a new plug-in hybrid system with an electric driving range of 150km and an improved hybrid system were mentioned.
A spokeswoman for Borneo Motors, Toyota’s Singapore distributor, said the new car will “most likely” be launched here in 2026, although pricing and the variants available for Singapore are yet to be confirmed.
Book a ride on a rooftop in the Kia EV5
Joyrider: From early June, the Kia EV5 will take on the banked Skytrack on the rooftop of the Hyundai plant in Bulim Avenue.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
From early June, the Kia EV5 electric sport utility vehicle will be used to give passenger rides on the 620m-long Skytrack on the rooftop of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore at the Jurong Innovation District.
The banked track is otherwise used for final quality checks on new electric vehicles before they are handed over to their owners. The passenger ride is free, but must be booked in advance. For details, go to str.sg/DR74
The EV5 is the first Kia electric vehicle to be assembled at the Hyundai-owned plant in Bulim Avenue. Three versions were announced on May 28 – the 400km-range Air that uses a 100kW motor; Earth, which is just as powerful but has a longer 540km range; and the GT Line, a 230kW dual-motor EV that is said to be able to travel 470km on a full charge.
The new EV5 is now at the Kia showroom at 239 Alexandra Road and is priced from $194,000 with certificate of entitlement (COE).
Customised-in-Bali motorcycle at London show
Indo-mean: The aggressively styled Phoenix motorcycle is the creation of a workshop in Bali, Indonesia.
PHOTO: ROYAL ENFIELD
Royal Enfield presented seven modified motorcycles at the Bike Shed Moto Show London held from May 23 to 25. Among them was the Phoenix, which was the creation of Mr Putu Ajus Mulyawarman, owner of AMS Garage in Bali, Indonesia.
The dramatic Phoenix is based on a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, with low-riding, “tribal style” bodywork made from exposed aluminium.
Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brands, having been in operation since 1901. In 1994, it was sold to multinational automotive company Eicher Motors. Today, it is active in 60 countries, including Singapore.
Right-hand-drive Vietnamese EV
Primed for export: The launch of the right-hand-drive VinFast VF6 in Indonesia opens the possibility for the EV brand to come to Singapore.
PHOTO: VINFAST
VinFast Auto, the carmaker under Vietnam’s Vingroup, unveiled the right-hand-drive version of its VF6 in Indonesia. This is an electric SUV that rivals the BYD Atto 3 in size and paves the way for the brand to be introduced in other right-hand-drive countries in the region, including Singapore.
The VF6 Eco is powered by a 130kW motor and is said to be able to travel up to 480km on a full charge under the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, which is more optimistic than the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure standard adopted by Singapore.
The higher-grade VF6 Plus has a 150kW motor and an operating range of 460km.
In Indonesia, the car comes with free charging until March 1, 2028, at VinFast-operated stations.
VinFast chief executive and founder Pham Nhat Vuong told shareholders in April that due to high logistics fees in North America and Europe, the company is pushing expansion into Asian markets instead.
Chinese carmakers questioned over ‘zero-mileage’ used cars
The Chinese government is looking into the increasing number of used cars on sale that have never been driven, according to a Reuters report.
This comes after Mr Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor, said in a separate report that the industry’s years-long price war has caused the emergence of “second-hand cars with zero mileage” in the Chinese market.
An unnamed source in the Reuters article said carmakers and dealers were potentially doing this to meet aggressive sales targets.
It is possible to find pre-owned cars with hardly any mileage on sale in Singapore. While there are no rules against this practice here, industry insiders opined that pre-registering cars without actual buyers artificially inflates demand for COEs.
Monster Jam tickets selling fast
Motor mania: Monster trucks will be performing stunts at the National Stadium on Aug 23.
PHOTO: MONSTER JAM
Tickets to catch trucks weighing more than five tonnes performing stunts at the National Stadium on Aug 23 are said to be selling fast. The show begins at 6pm, while the Pit Party, where ticket holders can get close to the vehicles, happens from 1 to 4pm.
The tickets are priced from $25 and are available through ticketmaster.sg
