Speaking at the European launch of the fourth-generation RAV4, Toyota GB president and managing director Jon Williams said: ‘The new Auris was the first car launched with a corporate mindset and we need to train our network about the importance of business sales.’

He added that the push on business sales will be spearheaded by ‘a few specialist, high-volume corporate sales centres with national responsibility while our other business centres will take on a more regional role’.

Williams also said that Toyota wants to emphasise its five-year/100,000-mile warranty when talking to fleet and corporate buyers due to the benefits to fleet operators, even though the five-year part of the deal appeals to private buyers. ‘It gives them confidence and peace of mind,’ he explained.

Williams also said that the RAV4, which invented the compact SUV sector in 1994 and has gone on to sell 160,000 in the UK in the intervening 18 years, has one of the highest loyalty rates of any Toyota model.

The car goes on sale from March 1 and so far 3,000 people have registered their interest in the latest version.

The fourth-generation RAV4 costs from £22,595 for the two-wheel drive 2.0D-4D manual in Active trim to £29,295 for the four-wheel drive 2.2 D-4D automatic in Invincible trim.