Car review9 min read4 views
Updated 10 November 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
The Toyota Raize is a compact SUV sold in Sri Lanka as a 1.0L turbo petrol or 1.2L hybrid, both CVT automatic. It suits city drivers and small families who want SUV seating height with hatchback running costs, but it is still a newer model here with limited long-term reliability data.
Toyota Raize
A fuel-sipping, easy-to-park compact SUV that suits Sri Lankan cities well, but it's still new enough here that you should check service and recall history carefully before buying used.
Advertised pricesRs. 11,375,000 – Rs. 12,925,00075 ads for 2019–2026 models in the last 12 months
The Toyota Raize is a compact SUV built on Toyota and Daihatsu's shared small-car platform, sold in Sri Lanka as a 1.0-litre turbo petrol or a 1.2-litre non-plug-in hybrid, both with CVT automatic gearboxes. It suits buyers who want SUV-style seating height and a tall, boxy cabin in a car small enough to park easily in Colombo traffic, and it is one of the cheaper SUV shapes to run here if you get the hybrid. It is still a relatively new model in Sri Lanka, so you have less long-term ownership history to lean on than with an old Vitz or Axio.
The Raize is a sub-4-metre compact SUV, smaller than a RAV4 or Fortuner but taller and boxier than a Vitz or Starlet. It suits a small family or a single professional who wants a higher driving position, a bit more ground clearance for Sri Lanka's uneven roads and potholes, and easy city parking, without stepping up to a full-size SUV's fuel bill. If you regularly carry more than four people with luggage, or need real off-road ability, it is not the right shape — look at a RAV4 or Fortuner instead. If you mainly drive in town and occasionally go upcountry on sealed roads, it fits well.
Running cost depends heavily on which engine you buy. An owner review of the hybrid e-Smart version reports real-world fuel economy of around 21-22 km/l in normal driving without deliberate hypermiling, which is close to what you'd expect from a small hybrid hatchback rather than a typical SUV (UFS Auto). That is the main reason the hybrid has become a popular import since Sri Lanka's used-vehicle import rules eased. We did not find a confirmed real-world fuel figure for the 1.0-litre turbo petrol version in Sri Lankan conditions, so don't rely on a number for that engine — check it against the odometer and fuel bill on a test drive instead.
Both engines are small (998cc turbo or 1196cc hybrid), which generally keeps you in a lower engine-capacity band for tax purposes compared with 1.5L-plus SUVs. Servicing costs for the turbo petrol should be similar to other small Toyota/Daihatsu-platform cars; hybrid servicing adds the usual hybrid battery and system checks on top of normal maintenance. Use price-check to compare what similar-spec Raize units are actually selling for before you commit to a number.
Import duty on any used or new vehicle brought into Sri Lanka depends on engine type, engine capacity, and CIF value, and these rates change often, so always confirm the current figures before you budget. As of November 2026, a sample calculation for a 2025 Toyota Raize Hybrid Z e-Smart (1,196cc) worked out to a total landed cost of roughly LKR 12 million, built up from customs duty, a CID surcharge, excise duty (the largest single component), SSCL and VAT on a CIF value of about LKR 4.78 million (Wealthy Islander import tax calculator). That same source notes luxury tax currently only applies once CIF value passes propulsion-specific thresholds — around LKR 5.0 million for petrol/diesel, LKR 5.5 million for hybrid/PHEV, and LKR 6.0 million for EVs — so a modestly priced Raize hybrid import can fall under the luxury tax threshold entirely. On top of these taxes, budget separately for registration, revenue licence and clearing agent fees, which are not included in the duty calculation. Because these brackets and surcharges are revised periodically, verify the live numbers with your clearing agent or Toyota Lanka before you sign anything, and browse current listings on /vehicles to sanity-check what buyers are actually paying.
Owner forum discussion, including a dedicated Raize owners' thread on PakWheels, points to a handful of recurring comments rather than major mechanical failures. Several owners mention interior rattles on rough roads, which they link to larger wheels fitted with low-profile tyres rather than a structural fault. Some describe the engine as feeling a little rough or "vibratious" at idle, especially with the air conditioning running, and note it can struggle slightly on steep ramps under low-speed loads (PakWheels Raize Owners fan club). Other owners counter that in Power mode, with the turbo spooled, the car accelerates and cruises well even at highway speeds.
Separately, Daihatsu — which engineers the Raize's platform for Toyota — found in 2023 that it had falsified side-impact crash test results for Raize and Rocky hybrid units, leading to a temporary halt in sales and shipments while Toyota re-ran and verified the tests (Toyota Global Newsroom). This did not point to an actual safety defect once retested, but it is worth knowing if a buyer raises it, and worth asking about if you're buying a used unit built around that period.
If you're buying used, get a pre-purchase check on the CVT (fluid condition, shift smoothness) and brakes, and take a proper test drive including a hill climb with the air conditioning on, since that is where owners say the small engine feels weakest.
The Raize has been sold since late 2019, so most used imports in Sri Lanka are from 2020 onward. For day-to-day value, the G grade is generally considered the sweet spot between price and equipment, while higher Z-grade trims hold stronger resale appeal if you plan to sell later (UFS Auto). If running cost matters more to you than purchase price, lean toward the 1.2L hybrid; if you want a simpler drivetrain with fewer hybrid-specific components to worry about long-term, the 1.0L turbo petrol is the more conventional choice. Whichever you pick, confirm the exact grade and engine on the CR book and compare it against what's listed, since grade names and features can differ between Japan-market and Sri Lanka-market descriptions.
Because the Raize has become one of the more commonly imported small SUVs since import rules eased, there is a reasonably active resale market, with hundreds of listings visible on classifieds sites at any time. That volume is generally good for liquidity (you can sell it without too much trouble) but can also mean more competition if you're trying to get a premium price. A full-service history, clean accident record and the more desirable hybrid or higher grade will help you stand out. List your own car for sale through /post-ad when you're ready, and check /price-check first so you price it realistically against similar units.
Brand-new Raize buyers get Toyota Lanka's official servicing and genuine parts support. For used Japan imports, most owners rely on independent garages and imported parts suppliers, since the Raize's underlying components are largely Daihatsu-engineered and Daihatsu has no dealer network of its own in Sri Lanka. This is normal for Japan-import SUVs generally, but it's worth asking your garage in advance whether they regularly service this platform before you buy, and budgeting a little extra time for parts that aren't on the shelf locally.
If you're financing the purchase, work out the real monthly cost with /leasing's payment calculator before you commit, factoring in the import duty and registration costs above rather than just the advertised price. Many buyers also discuss Raize ownership and specific units for sale in the Wahanaya forum — it's a good place to ask current owners about a particular year or grade before you buy.
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