Toyota Rav4 road test by Steve Rogers
The
hybrid story part two.
In
the first episode the little Yaris popped in a driving score of 86 so what
could the Rav4, its much bigger SUV brother do? I don't want to brag but I
reached the dizzy height of 90 after a 70 mile drive and even hit 93 for a good
part of the trip.
If
it sounds that I was puddling around at 40mph just to boost the score I was
not. This is driving to the speed limits, so that is up to 70mph occasionally,
but doing everything gently so that the batteries can be recharged on the move and
give as much electric driving power as possible.
The
average for the trip was 47.3mpg but the most telling figure is 46.2mpg at the
end of a week's driving which is impressive for a petrol SUV.
In
fact fifth generation Rav4 was impressive all round which came as a bit of a
surprise. Not a car I have ever taken to, dull to look at, dull to drive, although
am clearly in the minority because it is the world's best selling SUV.
Like
Yaris the Toyota designers have gone back to the drawing board and with the
help of a spanking new platform have created a totally different animal. And
this one is roaring!
We
shouldn't be surprised by the dynamic styling of Rav4. For years Toyota design has
been far too cautious but everything changed with the daring CH-R crossover and
things have been on the up ever since.
The
new platform has boosted two important elements: space and handling. New Rav is
a tad shorter than its predecessor but has more cabin space with loads of rear
legroom and a big boot. And with a lower centre of gravity the car's handling
has been transformed.
Not
that you can go rallying. The car has been set up for comfort but because its
sits closer to the tarmac there is far less body roll. Some will prefer rivals
with even sharper handling but I think the compromise between comfort and
driving dynamics is spot on.
The
cabin has been designed to make another powerful statement with better quality
trim and typical bullish SUV design. Compared to the minimalist look of a Volvo
XC60 or Peugeot 3008 the Rav is far busier. It has a large central touch screen
where you can see navigation directions, radio stations and the like, but
heating controls are conventional with a couple of oversized switches which are
easy to see and easy to use so eyes are fixed firmly on the road and not
searching for the fan or temperature control.
Move
to the driver's binnacle and things are a bit too busy with the focus on
everything hybrid, so much so that I didn't spot the digital speedo for a while
because it is stuck at the top like an afterthought. I spent a while pressing buttons in the hope
of changing the display but without success. I suppose the readouts are
important because hybrid is the only Rav4 on offer although that does not phase
me.
The
encouraging mix of performance, economy and low emissions is becoming a real
tonic. Stab the fast pedal and Rav4 is off the line in a flash. There is no
worry about balancing the clutch and getting the right revs for a quick
getaway, it is handed to you on a plate and the power surge goes on and on. Be
warned, too much of that will seriously hurt economy but it is good to have a
blast now and again.
The
all wheel drive Dynamic model comes with all the bells and whistles, which is
reflected in the price, but one piece of good news is that this is a hybrid
with a reasonable towing capacity. The
Rav will pull 1650kg which is a family sized single axle caravan.
So
a lot going for the new Toyota whether you want a big family car, a tow car, or
a company motor because here it is like living in a tax haven with a very low
benefit in kind penalty.
There
is just one irritation that Toyota should sort out and that is the painfully
slow and noisy powered tailgate... but it was still difficult giving this car
back.
Need
to know
RAV4
Dynamic AWD
£37,555
2.5
litre petrol; 219bhp
0-62mph
8.1secs; 112mph
47.8mpg
combined
Transmission:
Electric CVT
101g/km.
1st tax £140
Insurance
group 30
Boot: 580 litres
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