Toyota RAV4 gets certified armor in Brazil after withstanding 560 shots

The Toyota RAV4 now has an armor option certified by the automaker itself in Brazil. The service is from Avallon Blindagens, which presents itself as the only company certified by Toyota for the SUV, and comes with a ten-year warranty — the same coverage period offered for the vehicle.

The project took 90 days, from the purchase of the car for studies to the final approval, and consumed about R$ 2 million from the armoring company in technology, solution development and vehicle acquisition. The certification required ballistic tests with more than 560 shots at different angles of the body, in addition to dynamic drivability evaluations and airbag deflagration tests.

Avallon did not inform the price of the service. According to Abrablin, an association that represents the sector, the average cost of armor in the country is around R$ 100 thousand. The RAV4 has been sold in Brazil since April in the S hybrid versions, at R$ 317.190, and SX, at R$ 349.290. It was the best-selling car in the world in 2024 and the second in 2025, according to the consultancy MarkLines.

Approval in more than 560 shots

The choice of the armored vehicle considered criteria such as quality, technical training, service, innovation and performance in the tests presented to the Toyota team. “It is a rigorous process, which meets the standards of the Army,” says Thomas Yamada, Avallon’s development director. According to him, the armored car maintained stability and braking close to those of the original model.

Project anticipates 2027

rule The sector is expected to undergo changes in 2027, when the Brazilian Army raises the required level of protection. Today, part of the materials need to be fixed to the bodywork; under the new rule, no. The RAV4 project already provides for the use, at the customer’s discretion, of the so-called standalone — aramid blankets, polyethylene or panels certified to withstand the impact alone, without a steel support plate. According to Avallon, the solution is less harmful to the body and reduces the use of glue.

With 23 years of experience and more than 20 thousand armored vehicles, Avallon maintains a 16 thousand m² center in Barueri (SP), with areas for disassembly, ballistics, assembly and quality control, as well as showrooms in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The company is also certified by Lexus.

The market is experiencing an upward cycle: there were 42,800 armored vehicles in 2025, 24.6% more than in 2024 and a record in Abrablin’s time series, which began in 1995. Toyota leads the ranking of brands, with 5,850 cars protected in the year.