Toyota has launched the fifth generation of its RAV4 SUV.
Many are wondering where the name RAV4 comes from. According to Toyota, the name stands for Recreational Active Vehicle 4WD, which gives you an idea of who Toyota is aiming its RAV4 at.
In the words of the manufacturer, the car is ‘for people who lead active lives and want to be able to fit the things they need for their lifestyle’.
The car is therefore aimed at both active enthusiasts and families.
The first generation of the RAV4 was launched in 1994 and remained on the market until 2001, when the second generation was launched.
Thethird generation came in 2006 and the fourth in 2013, making this the fifth generation.
The RAV4 is based on the new GA platform and is a completely new car. Although the concept is similar to the previous generation, in practice there is not much in common with its predecessor.
Toyota has made the model more SUV-like. This places it well between the C-HR and the Landcruiser.
Toyota has adopted a new interpretation of the RAV slogan. According to Toyota, RAV now stands for Robust Accurate Vehicle.
The word Robust describes the car’s appearance, cabin and boot size, handling and off-road capability.
The word Accurate describes the visibility of the car, the usability of the interior and the amount of storage space, as well as efficiency and driving range.
Petrol engine and two electric motors
The car is powered by a four-cylinder 2.25-litre petrol engine and two electric motors. One electric motor is on the rear axle and the other on the front axle. The combined output of the engines is 222 horsepower.
With this power, zero to 60 km/h is achieved in 8.1 seconds. That’s quite enough for a typical family car.
Toyota promises fuel consumption of 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres. In practice, though, that’s a bit over-promised.
Four-wheel drive is provided by an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, which has been given a little extra power. Around 80% of the total power can be transferred to the rear axle. In the previous model, the figure was 60 per cent.
According to Toyota, the car’s centre of gravity has been lowered slightly. The hybrid’s battery pack is located under the rear seat.
Revamped interior
The interior of the car has been completely redesigned. Both the look and the materials have been significantly updated from the previous version.
The car’s safety system has been significantly upgraded in all versions. Intelligent cruise control is already operational at low speeds, and an active lane departure warning system is also included. The system can also see pedestrians and cyclists in the dark.
Toyota has done a good job with its RAV4 redesign. The car is more modern, safer and more comfortable. The hybrid powertrain works well.
Compared to the previous version, the car is now 10 mm lower, but the ground clearance has been increased by 15 mm. The wheelbase has been increased by 30 mm and the overhangs have been reduced by 35 mm.
The width of the rear seat has been increased by 40 mm and knee room has been increased by 49 mm.
The centre console of the car is quite plush, and its width has been increased by 35 mm. At the same time, it now has two cup holders next to each other. There are three usb sockets at the front and two at the rear. The car also comes with wireless mobile phone charging.
Visibility has been improved by reshaping the rear windows and adding a triangle to the front corner of the front windows.
The car also features a special interior mirror that can function as a regular mirror or a display. During the test drive, we used only the camera image because it is very clear, and the image is also visible to the co-driver and rear seat passengers. The camera mirror is only available on the Premium trim level.
If you want, you can get different screens for the mirror. Perhaps best of all, the ‘interior’ mirror allows you to see the rear of the car, even when the boot is full to the roof.
The length of the boot has been increased by 65 mm to just over a metre. The size of the boot has increased by 79 litres to 580 litres.
Four driving modes, three equipment levels
The car can be driven in four driving modes, including one for off-road driving (Trail). In addition, Eco, Sport and Ev (electric only) are available.
Toyota also says it has modified its eCVT transmission to eliminate the traditional ‘rubber band’ feature. At the same time, the car has been made quieter.
In Finland, the RAV4 Hybrid is fighting for customers in the D-segment and Toyota says it will be one of the replacements for the Avensis when it goes out of production. According to Toyota, the customer base includes both private and business users.
According to Toyota, the toughest competitors are the VW Tiguan, Honda CR-V and Škoda Kodiaq.
Now the RAV4 model is also available with a heated windscreen and heated steering wheel. The top-of-the-range model also comes with cooling for the front seats and heating for the rear seats.
The RAV4 is available in three trim levels, either as a front-wheel drive hybrid (Active and Style) or as a hybrid with AWD-i four-wheel drive (Active, Style and Premium).
The Active comes with key standard equipment such as Toyota Safety Sense safety equipment, LED headlights, dark cloth upholstery and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The Style trim level features a black roof, 18-inch alloy wheels, Bi-led headlights, sports front seats with power driver’s seat adjustment and blue stitching on the upholstery.
Premium includes leather upholstery in three optional colours (black, grey or beige), a 360-degree camera system, front seat ventilation and heated seats in the rear outboard seats.
Unsurpassed driveability
During our test drive, we drove in the city, in the countryside, on the motorway and off-road.
At the end of the drive, we spent almost an hour off-road to test the four-wheel drive capabilities of the car.
The car performed as well as expected off-road. However, the route was not really difficult and was not extreme, but perhaps comparable to a Finnish forest road.
However, it was easy to drive off-road, as you could see well from the car and the power line worked without any problems.
The car handled very logically and smoothly on all surfaces. The suspension worked well both at higher road speeds and at off-road speeds.
The front seats are quite stiff and provide good lateral support.
The driving position was easy to find and the controls were within easy reach. The traditional handbrake has been replaced by an electric one, giving more space in the centre console.
The car was as quiet as promised, and the eCVT transmission did not make the traditional CVT ‘rubber band’ sound.
The four-wheel-drive Hybrid RAV4 has a starting price of €44,353.
A front-wheel drive Hybrid version is also available. The starting price is EUR 39 737.
