Toyota Motor Sales USA has announced that the manufacturer's suggested retail prices for the 2009 RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle will increase by $224 or 0.9% and the vehicles will begin arriving at Toyota dealerships in early September 2008.

The base manufacturer's suggested retail prices for the 2009 RAV4 ranges from $21,500 for the base grade front-wheel-drive with a four-cylinder engine to $27,810 for the limited grade four-wheel-drive with a V6 engine. Prices for all base grade models remain unchanged from 2008.

The company claims that, for 2009, RAV4 adds an all-new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is more powerful and more fuel efficient than the previous 2.4-liter engine. It produces 179HP at 6,000rpm, along with 172lb-ft of torque at 4,000rpm, compared to 166HP and 165lb-ft of peak torque of the previous 2.4-liter engine.

Staff Writer, Automotive Business Review.