Car: Toyota RAV4
Prices: £22,410 - £27,380 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 22-25 [1-50 groupings]
Emissions: 150-177g/km [est]
Performance: [2.2 D-4D] 0-60mph 10.1s / Max Speed 118mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [2.2 D-4D] (combined) 48.7mpg [est]
Safety: Seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls [est]
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4395/1815/1720mm
RAV REVS UP
Our Rating: 7.6 / 10
Toyota’s latest generation RAV4 isn’t only one of the largest compact 4x4s, it’s one of the cleanest too. Steve Walker reports.
Toyota was amongst the first manufacturers to get its foot in the door of the compact 4x4 market and its RAV4 models proceeded to show that offroaders didn’t have to be cumbersome, wobbly and unrefined. Success was forthcoming but so were numerous other entrants into the RAV4’s market sector. These days, compact 4x4 land is as crowded as virtually any other segment but the RAV4 continues to challenge for class leadership. The latest models are greener thanks to Toyota’s Optimal Drive technology and smarter thanks to a styling refresh.
After compact 4x4s were unfairly tarred with the same environmentally-unfriendly brush as the high-end luxury models with their gas-guzzling V8 engines, sales took a turn for the worse. Today, buyers have come to the realisation that not all off-road vehicles are a blight on the planet and that the compact 4x4s that most people buy produce no more noxious substances than a conventional family car - or your household pet for that matter. That’s good news for the RAV4 which is looking to underline its green credentials in its latest guise.
What’s less encouraging for Toyota is the sheer volume of rivals in the market that the Japanese marque helped originate. It seems there’s a compact 4x4 for every occasion, so why should you still choose the RAV4?
As far as the oily bits go, you’ll have a choice of two powerplants, the RAV4 range being somewhat smaller that it was in the past. The range opens with a 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol unit. It has a healthy 156bhp to call upon but the 198Nm of torque won’t appeal to 4x4 buyers who’ve been used to the low-end muscle of a good diesel. For those seeking a little more pulling power, perhaps for towing or mild off-road adventures, Toyota offers the 2.2-litre D-4D engine. This has 148bhp but a meaty 340Nm of torque and will be a more satisfying engine in most respects when fitted to the RAV4.
The engines aren’t the sole choice that RAV4 buyers are faced with. The petrol option is available in two-wheel-drive form as a more affordable alternative to full 4x4 mechanicals. Here, it uses a standard six-speed manual but it can also be specified with the Multidrive S CVT automatic gearbox and the full 4x4 transmission. The diesel is only available as a 4x4 but can come as a manual or with six-speed automatic transmission. Like the Multidrive S CVT, the auto ‘box has steering-wheel paddle shifters so owners can overrule the shift programme if the fancy takes them and enjoy a sportier drive - but these are only present in plush SR trim.
Few people buy RAV4s to take them off-road. It’ll manage a muddy lane at a pinch but if you’re thinking of undertaking the Camel Trophy, you’ll need to rearrange these words into a familiar phrase: tree up wrong the barking. This generation RAV4 runs in front-wheel-drive mode most of the time but when slippage is detected, the car instantly switches to four-wheel-drive mode. A switch can ‘lock’ the vehicle in all-wheel-drive and there’s hill start as well as downhill assist controls but don’t expect hardcore features like a low-range transfer box. Horses for courses and all that.
Across each successive iteration, the RAV4 has got bigger and better equipped. This third generation model represented the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky was replaced with bold and aggressive. The new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious than RAV4s past. The latest facelifted cars tweak the front-end styling with changes to the grille and headlight design. There’s more chrome, which is usually a good thing, and the changes enhance the overall aerodynamics of the car.
The RAV4 remains at the more practical and family-orientated end of the compact 4x4 market. What it lacks in funky, urban styling it makes up for in capacity and user-friendliness. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are
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