The popularity of SUVs is at an all-time high, with global SUV sales reaching a record-breaking 30.7 million in 2020. It’s no secret that SUV prices vary by country, and the same model can cost over twice as much in some countries than in others. It turns out Canada is the cheapest place in the world to buy an SUV, evidenced by Zutobi.com’s research into the prices of the Toyota RAV4 in places all over the world.
But why does the price of the same SUV vary by location? Imported SUVs are subject to taxes and duty, however, in some places such as Singapore, government regulations mean retail prices can become significantly inflated.
Although new SUV sales are highest in North America and Europe out of all regions, the SUV market has witnessed a growth in demand in South America and Asia in recent years as well. In 2017, there were around 10 million new and second-hand SUVs sold in China alone.
When looking to find out the most expensive place to buy an SUV, Zutobi researched the retail prices of the world’s best-selling SUV, the Toyota RAV4, on each country’s Toyota website. The findings showed that the most expensive place to buy an SUV is Singapore, with the impact of laws and taxes.
While not available in every country Zutobi looked at, the cheapest price found for the RAV4 is in Canada, where the recommended retail price of a new model is equivalent to US$22,614. Vehicle prices in Canada correlate to the Canadian economy, which can result in lower prices for new cars. The shipping costs from large car-producing countries like the U.S. are significantly lower to Canada than to Europe.
