The Toyota Raize, a lovechild of the Toyota and Daihatsu partnership has recently been launched locally. While the Raize had been teased numerously at the tail end of last year and even before its “official” launch a few weeks ago, it’s still garnering a lot of positive press and consumer attention post-launch. Come to think of it, anything slapped with a Toyota badge will garner a lot of attention locally.
The Raize actually has a lot going for it, it’s supposedly a compact crossover priced around the same range as the popular Vios sedan, making the Raize a true alternative should anyone want something taller. Not only is it a Toyota, it also comes pretty well spec’ed for a vehicle in its price range.
However, it’s not alone in the “reasonably priced and well spec’ed” compact crossover segment, a few models have already been in the market well before the Raize was launched, namely the Kia Stonic and the Hyundai Venue.
So is the Raize deserving of the attention? Is it the true value for money king in its class? Let’s compare them, shall we?
Do take note that for the purpose of this comparison we chose to highlight the top-of-the-line variants of each model.
Below are the criteria we used, which are based on what we think matters most to the consumers.
Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height): 4,030mm x 1,710mm x 1,605mm
Ground clearance: 200mm
Engine: 1.0 Liter 3-cylinder turbocharged with VVT-I, Gasoline
Power and Torque: 98PS and 140Nm
Transmission: CVT
Fuel Tank Capacity: 36 Liters
Infotainment: 9” Display Audio with Apple Carplay, Android Auto
Safety: Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Driver + Passenger + Side + Curtain Shield Airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System, Vehicle Stability Control, Hill-Start Assist Control.
Price: Php 1,031,000
Kia Stonic EX AT
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height): 4,100mm x 1,735mm x 1,533mm
Ground clearance: 185mm
Engine: 1.4 Liter In-line 4 Cylinders, DOHC, D-CVVT Petrol
Power and Torque: 100PS and 132Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic
Fuel Tank Capacity: 43 Liters
Infotainment: 8” Touchscreen Display with Apple Carplay, Android Auto
Safety: Driver and Passenger Airbags, Anti Lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control, Hill-Start Assist Control.
Price: Php 955,000
Hyundai Venue 1.6 GLS 6AT
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height): 4,040mm x 1,770mm x 1,590mm
Ground clearance: 170mm
Engine: Gamma 1.6 MPI
Power and Torque: 123PS and 151Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic
Fuel Tank Capacity: 45 Liters
Infotainment: 8” Integrated LCD Display with Apple Carplay, Android Auto
Safety: Driver and Passenger Airbag, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Braking System.
Price: Php 985,000
Judging by these specs and criteria alone, the new Toyota Raize is actually priced considerably higher than its closest competitors, it also comes up the shortest in terms of power, torque and fuel capacity.
When it comes to size the three cars more or less are matched and that goes also for the Infotainment options and standard safety equipment.
Between the three models, we think that the Kia Stonic EX AT is actually the best value overall, only being trumped by the Hyundai Venue in terms of power and torque (not by much) and by the Raize in terms of Airbags and ground clearance, not to mention the Stonic is also the most affordable option.
It’s no surprise then that the Stonic is actually quite the popular car already, though I’d hazard a guess that because the Toyota Raize is…well…a Toyota droves of people will still end up buying it.
