Production of crossovers in the first year is restricted to 5,000 units
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Primate might cost more to purchase. According to a new report by Cars Direct, some dealers are increasing the price of the plug-in hybrid crossover Toyota that was revealed last year. The RAV4 Prime 2021 starts at $39,220 and includes the $1,120 destination charge. According to the publication, dealers can add up to $10,300 on top of the crossover’s MSRP.
CarsDirect‘s information may be anecdotal but it paints an interesting picture of the RAV4 Prime. Some users are asking for markups of between $2,000 to $10,300. However, Rav4World members are posting threads where they are asking for markups up to $5,000 with a $1,000 deposit. According to the online publication, some people have experienced waiting lists that were up to 30 long. The perfect storm for higher prices is created when you combine the high demand and limited production of the crossover – only 5,000 copies in its first year.
The RAV4 Prime was unveiled by Toyota at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year. The RAV4 Prime is the second fastest model from Toyota, after the Supra. It can sprint to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. Toyota’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is paired with two electric motors, and a 18.1-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery that generates 302 horsepower (225-watts). This power is required to drive the crossover, which weighs in at two tons.
Toyota’s second-quickies model is not widely available and dealers markups will make it difficult to buy one. A well-equipped RAV4 Prime can cost over $47,000. This is a high price, even before any markup. Although there is clearly demand for the new crossover model, Toyota will not be able to meet that demand with sufficient supply. Therefore, price negotiations may favor some dealers.