Toyota Raize review: a charming crossover Bahrain was never meant to import
2.8/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Do not buy a Raize in Bahrain expecting an easy ownership experience: this is a right-hand-drive car in a left-hand-drive traffic system, with no factory presence and no parts network to fall back on. The engineering underneath is genuinely likeable — light, efficient, well packaged — but that is a reason to admire it in its home markets, not a reason to import one here.
Pros
- DNGA platform makes it light, tidy to drive and genuinely efficient for its class
- 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine is simple and inexpensive to maintain mechanically
- Compact footprint is easy to park in tight Manama streets
- ASEAN NCAP awarded it a 5-star rating in its home markets
Cons
- Built only in right-hand-drive, which is a genuine daily friction in Bahrain's left-hand-drive traffic
- No official distributor, no factory warranty and no guaranteed local parts supply
- Insurance and registration for a private RHD import add cost and paperwork most buyers underestimate
- Resale pool is essentially nonexistent — you are buying a curiosity, not a liquid asset
Daihatsu engineered the Raize's DNGA platform underneath a Toyota badge, and the result is a genuinely well-sorted subcompact crossover: light kerb weight, tidy steering and a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine that feels more eager than its modest output suggests. In Japan, Indonesia and the African markets where it is actually sold, it is a sensible, well-liked small car.
The problem is entirely geographic
The Raize is built only in right-hand-drive. Bahrain drives on the right side of the road with left-hand-drive traffic, which makes any RHD car — the Raize included — a genuine daily inconvenience rather than a quirky feature: overtaking sightlines, drive-through lanes and roundabout positioning all work against the driver rather than for them.
There is no official Toyota Bahrain distribution for the Raize, which means no factory warranty, no guaranteed parts pipeline through the mainstream dealer network, and insurance and registration paperwork for a private RHD import that adds real cost most buyers underestimate before they start the process.
Who it actually suits
If you already own and enjoy driving RHD imports in Bahrain, understand the registration process, and want a genuinely well-engineered small crossover as a curiosity rather than a primary family car, the Raize will not disappoint mechanically. As a mainstream used-car purchase for someone who wants an easy ownership experience, it is the wrong car for this market — buy a locally-relevant crossover like the C-HR or Yaris Cross instead.