Rav4 PHEV spare wheel storage

[Hawthorns]

A bit of care required with spare wheels if you have the RAV4 PHEV which I do.

This model comes with 19" wheels, as does the Suzuki Across PHEV since it is in many respects identical.

The spare wheel listed in my handbook is 165/90 x 18.  However a 'standard' Lexus/Toyota steel space saver with that size tyre (on a 4J rim) is just too wide to fit under the boot floor panel.  This is due to the protruding rim on the face of the wheel which sticks out further than the tyre walls.  As has been said the packaging of the PHEV rear end is different to account for a larger lithium main Battery and other items and so the spare wheel 'well' is shallow.

The Suzuki Across OE spare wheel is very likely to fit (I have not tried one though).  Thinking I was clever, I went to 2 local ish Suzuki dealers to see a spare wheel and investigate.  I was not able to check out a new vehicle as neither dealer had one, nor a used one!  I enquired of the parts department and was told that Suzuki do not list the spare wheel as a spare part that can be purchased at the moment.  I thought that was a bit strange but my search (for a used or new OE wheel and tyre (off a Suzuki Across) continues.  I know that I cannot obtain one from Toyota.