Toyota has unveiled a new RAV4 trim that is ready for some off-road fun thanks to Toyota Racing Development (TRD).
Toyota’s RAV4 compact crossover continues to dominate the segment. However, Toyota doesn’t want to just sit on their laurels and wait for the next little SUV to try and steal their thunder. Instead, they’re going to make a newer, better RAV4 capable of going almost anywhere, and they’re getting TRD to come help.
With TRD taking inspiration from their various rally race vehicles, they’ve come up with this: The 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road. Based on the RAV4 Adventure trim, the RAV4 TRD Off-Road comes with a host of off-road upgrades to help this little SUV conquer any terrain.
Starting with the engine, the RAV4 comes equipped with the top-of-the-line Dynamic Force 2.5-L inline 4-cylinder engine with 203 hp combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Power goes to all four wheels with torque vectoring, with the rear axle being disconnected on the highway to save on gas.
The engine can be placed in one of three modes (Sport, Normal, or Eco) while traction control can be set up for four different terrains: regular pavement, mud and sand, rock and dirt, or snow.
Taking from their rally vehicles, TRD fitted the RAV4 off-road with new shocks that include new internal rebound springs and revised bump stops for better off-road performance. Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail all-terrain tires provide ideal traction even in heavy snow conditions and get wrapped around 18-inch matte black aluminum rims.
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Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 comes standard and includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection and emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure with steering correction, auto high beams, road sign assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and rear cross traffic braking.
There’s also a whole bunch of TRD badging, some fancy stitching, and seats made out of a space-age material called SofTex that’s both lighter and more durable than leather.
Pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet, but you can bet the RAV4 TRD Off-Road will be more expensive than the Adventure’s $32,900.