- Mitsuoka revives the Buddy SUV after a two-year break with 150 units.
- Based on the older RAV4 Hybrid, featuring a 2.5-liter engine and AWD.
- Production restarts in May 2026, priced from ¥7,260,000 ($47,600).
The Toyota RAV4 was the world’s best-selling vehicle in 2024, but not everyone’s satisfied with its mild-mannered, inoffensive styling. Some drivers, apparently, would rather be offensive.
While Toyota has already moved to a new-generation model that we recently tested, Japanese company Mitsuoka is giving 150 units of the outgoing RAV4 a very different fate, turning them into mishmash tributes to vintage American SUVs.
More: Mitsuoka Can’t Stop Turning Hondas Into Dodge Challengers
The modified vehicle, known as the Mitsuoka Buddy, was originally introduced in 2020. After selling 1,200 units, production was halted in 2024 due to supply chain issues brought on by the semiconductor shortage.
Now, with a new stock of RAV4s secured, Mitsuoka has reopened reservations and promises improved equipment and finish across the limited run.
What’s Changed
The friendly named Buddy retains the RAV4’s greenhouse, roof, and doors, but every other body panel has been redesigned. Its boxy front end with a chrome-heavy grille and vertically stacked headlights recalls old-school Chevrolets fromt he 70s.
The theme continues at the rear, where a custom tailgate, chrome bumper, and Cadillac-inspired taillights complete the transformation.
Mitsuoka
Buyers can choose from five color options, including Globe One White Pearl II, which is limited to 30 units, as well as two new hues: Iceman Gray and Beach Greige.
Inside, the RAV4’s familiar layout remains, but new seat upholstery adds some differentiation. Standard features include a panoramic sunroof and a digital rearview mirror.
All of the new Buddy units will be based on the Hybrid X trim of the RAV4. Under the hood lies the standard 2.5-liter self-charging hybrid unit, which is mated to an eCVT gearbox and the E-Four AWD system.
More: Jaguar Lost The Plot So Mitsuoka Picked It Up And Made A Whole Car
When and How Much?
Production is scheduled to restart in May 2026, with deliveries wrapping up before the end of the year. Mitsuoka is already taking reservations in Japan, and demand is expected to outpace supply quickly. Prices begin at ¥7,260,000 (about $47,600), a substantial leap from the ¥3,859,900 ($25,300) base price of the donor RAV4 Hybrid X.
And if that price makes you pause, Mitsuoka’s official statement for the Buddy might win you over with its sentimentality:
“Regardless of generation or gender, we all weave stories by superimposing the wonderful days of laughter and tears that we have all experienced, sometimes with our nostalgic selves, sometimes with our current selves, and sometimes with our future selves. The name ‘Buddy’ is imbued with the hope that it will be a companion that will gently accompany each person’s story and be by their side.”
