Toyota shows off new RAV4 with in-house Arene software system
Toyota's sixth-generation RAV4 comes in either a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid model. (Go Takahashi)
Toyota Motor Corp. has rolled out a fully redesigned RAV4 for the first time in six years, marking a major step forward in its push toward next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The RAV4 is one of Toyota's key global models, accounting for 10 percent of the company's total vehicle sales in 2024 with 1.05 million units sold worldwide.
The sixth-generation RAV4 announced on May 21 does not have a model that runs solely on gasoline and instead comes in two electric versions: a hybrid vehicle (HV) and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV).
Toyota touts that drivers can cover up to 150 kilometers exclusively on an electric charge in the PHV, a more than 50 percent increase in distance. Acceleration and off-road performance have also been improved.
In a first for Toyota, the new RAV4 features the company's operating system for vehicles that was developed in-house and is known as Arene.
This software platform allows for over-the-air updates to enhance driving performance, safety features and other core functions in real time.
Toyota plans to install Arene in more models in the future in its attempt to position the new RAV4 as a pioneer with its software-driven strategy.
The new RAV4 is scheduled to launch in Japan by March 2026. Pricing details are to be announced at a later date.
Originally introduced in 1994, the RAV4 has become one of Toyota's most successful global vehicles. In 2024, nearly half of the model's sales, 480,000 units, were in the United States.
This has raised concerns about the potential impact of the 25 percent additional auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
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How Social Media Is Reshaping Politics in Japan—for Better or Worse
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Japan's stable but stagnant political environment, dominated by entrenched political interests and personal political support groups, may dampen the motivation to vote. In an APFE survey conducted in the wake of the 2024 House of Representatives election, common reasons respondents gave for abstaining included 'no interest in elections' (24.3%), 'elections don't improve politics' (17.3%), and 'my vote doesn't matter' (11.6%). Young voter turnout in particular has hovered at about half the rate of older generations, raising serious concerns about the health of Japanese democracy. Yet the Internet, especially social media, has opened new doors for political engagement, particularly among those who feel alienated from mainstream politics. People who find traditional media coverage inadequate often turn to the Internet to explore issues on their own terms. Social platforms enable them to connect with others who share their views—or push back against those who see things differently. 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These tactics brought a sense of immediacy and authenticity that resonated with many voters, especially those disillusioned with establishment politics, conventional media, or vested interests. This kind of impassioned support for political candidates was sometimes likened to oshikatsu—a term describing the enthusiasm and devotion fans show for their favorite idols. Such social-media-driven campaigns tend to center around charismatic individuals rather than 'faceless' party platforms or abstract policy debates. The Democratic Party for the People made major gains in the 2024 House of Representatives election, but analysis of the seventh Japanese Election Study political survey showed that social media users were not necessarily aligned with the policies advocated by the party or its leader, Tamaki Yūichirō. Rather, disillusioned voters active on social media appear to have been drawn to Tamaki personally, irrespective of his ideology. 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SoraNews24
2 hours ago
- SoraNews24
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Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Trade war cuts global economic growth outlook: OECD
The OECD slashed its annual global growth forecast on Tuesday, warning that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs blitz would stifle the world economy — hitting the United States especially hard. After 3.3% growth last year, the world economy is now expected to expand by a "modest" 2.9% in 2025 and 2026, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said. In its previous report in March, the OECD had forecast growth of 3.1% for 2025 and 3.0% for 2026. Since then, Trump has launched a wave of tariffs that has rattled financial markets. "The global outlook is becoming increasingly challenging," said the OECD, an economic policy group of 38 mostly wealthy countries. It said "substantial increases" in trade barriers, tighter financial conditions, weaker business and consumer confidence, and heightened policy uncertainty will all have "marked adverse effects on growth" if they persist. The OECD downgraded its 2025 growth forecast for the United States from 2.2% to 1.6%. The world's biggest economy is expected to slow further next year to 1.5%. Trump, who has insisted that the tariffs would spark a manufacturing revival and restore a U.S. economic "Golden Age," posted on his Truth Social platform before the OECD report's publication: "Because of Tariffs, our Economy is BOOMING!" The OECD holds a ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday. U.S. and EU trade negotiators are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of the gathering after Trump threatened to hit the European Union with 50percent tariffs. The Group of Seven advanced economies is also holding a meeting focused on trade. "For everyone, including the United States, the best option is that countries sit down and get an agreement," OECD chief economist Alvaro Pereira said in an interview. "Avoiding further trade fragmentation is absolutely key in the next few months and years," Pereira said. Trump imposed in April a baseline tariff of 10% on imports from around the world. He unveiled higher tariffs on dozens of countries but has paused them until July to allow time for negotiations. The U.S. president has also imposed 25percent tariffs on cars and now plans to raise those on steel and aluminum to 50% on Wednesday. In the OECD report, Pereira warned that "weakened economic prospects will be felt around the world, with almost no exception." He added that "lower growth and less trade will hit incomes and slow job growth." The outlook "has deteriorated" in the United States after the economy expanded by a robust 2.8% last year, the report said. The effective tariff rate on U.S. merchandise imports has gone from 2% in 2024 to 15.4%, the highest since 1938, the OECD said. The higher rate and policy uncertainty "will dent household consumption and business investment growth," the report said. The OECD also blamed "high economic policy uncertainty, a significant slowdown in net immigration and a sizeable reduction in the federal workforce." While annual inflation is expected to "moderate" among the Group of 20 economies to 3.6% in 2025 and 3.2% in 2026, the United States is "an important exception." U.S. inflation is expected to accelerate to just under 4% by the end of the year, two times higher than the Federal Reserve's target for consumer price increases. The OECD slightly reduced its growth forecast for China — which was hit with triple-digit U.S. tariffs that have been temporarily lowered — from 4.8% to 4.7% this year. Another country with a sizeable downgrade is Japan. The OECD cut the country's growth forecast from 1.1% to 0.7%. The outlook for the eurozone economy, however, remains intact at 1% growth. "There is the risk that protectionism and trade policy uncertainty will increase even further and that additional trade barriers might be introduced," Pereira wrote. "According to our simulations, additional tariffs would further reduce global growth prospects and fuel inflation, dampening global growth even more," he said.
