Toyota RAV4 was the first of its kind when it burst into the scene in 1996. Redefining the SUV segment with this compact UV, Toyota introduced a vehicle that offered both a DNA of an SUV and easy driving experience of a sedan. Gone were the soft suspension setup that affected the ride quality and the handling along with engines that had some serious drinking problems and in came the RAV4 offering a 4-wheel-drive system, commanding ground clearance, and both a spacious cabin and boot space. Keeping a firm eye on the future, Toyota decided to rewrite how SUVs were manufactured in the 90s’ as they were based on pick-up trucks, Toyota decided to base the first-generation RAV4 on the Corolla platform and since then there’s no looking back. RAV4 is so popular that in the last four years, it has comfortably crossed the 400,000 units mark and has outsold its rivals like the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Subaru Forester, and Nissan Rogue.
Here is why the Toyota remains the top dog compact SUV in the country.
Variety Is The Spice Of Life
The RAV4 is now only petrol-powered as Toyota had decided to pull the plug on the diesel motor in 2018, but it’s available in three variants with numerous off-roading and luxury options. The standard version gets a 203 hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine under the hood and has three driving modes — Normal, Eco and Sport. The entry-level RAV4 is front-wheel-drive (FWD), but one can opt for an all-wheel-drive (AWD) with Multi-Terrain Select that gets different traction settings for the following modes — Mud & Sand, Snow, Normal, and Rock & Dirt. Apart from being a sturdy and reliable vehicle, the RAV4 is also fuel-efficient. The FWD petrol variant returns EPA estimated 28 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway. The fuel economy tends to differ based on the variant and whether it's FWD or AWD, but even the most hardcore trim, the TRD Off-Road offers 25 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway.
If fuel efficiency is your mantra then there is the RAV4 hybrid which gets the same 2.5-liter petrol engine along with two electric motors on the front and rear axle. With a combined output of 219 hp, the internal combustion engine churns out 176 hp at 5,700 rpm and torque of 163 lb-ft at 3,600 – 5,200 rpm while the front motor’s torque output is 149 Ib-ft and the rear’s 89 lb-ft. Therefore, the hybrid trim returns EPA estimated 41 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway, which is very impressive. It comes standard with Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive with intelligence (AWD-i), which ensures there is optimal torque available to the rear wheels for more traction to tackle different types of terrains.
With the RAV4 plug-in hybrid or as the company calls it RAV4 Prime, Toyota has broken all perceptions about hybrid vehicles as it belts out 302 hp and does 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. This makes the RAV4 Prime the fastest four-door model in the Toyota lineup. The 2.5-liter petrol engine gets additional power from two electric motors. The front one has an output of 179 hp and 199 Ib-ft of torque while the rear coughs out 53 hp and 89 lb-ft. This top-of-the-line version comes with an 18.1 kWh Lithium-ion battery and has up to an EPA-estimated 42 miles on complete electric mode on a single charge. It also has up to an EPA-estimated 94 combined MPGe.
With the standard 3.3 kW onboard charger, it takes 12 hours to charge the battery using a 120V with a 12A connection and 4.5 hours with 240V at 16A. It can be supercharged with the optional 6.6 kW charger in 2.5 hours using a 230 V and 32 A connection.
All the RAV4 variants come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Full To The Brim
May it be convenient or safety features, Toyota has left no stone unturned. Based on the variant, RAV4 is equipped with either a 7, 8-or-9-inch infotainment touchscreen with Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. With optional packs, one can add onboard Wi-Fi, a color Head-Up Display, a wireless phone charger, a camera-based digital rearview mirror and an 11-speaker JBL sound system with a rear subwoofer. The high-end trim gets additional features like premium fabric seats with red switching, steering-mounted paddle shifters, 19-inch alloy wheels, vertical LED lights, 8-way adjustment and lumbar support for the driver’s seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and gear shifter, and a panoramic roof.
Moving on to safety the RAV4 gets some amazing features like the Lane Tracing Assist that keeps the vehicle in the center of the road using the markers, the headlamps automatically switch on-and-off high beams by detecting oncoming traffic, it reads road signs, speed limits, and then alerts the driver on the display console, cruiser control functions between 0-110 mph and much more.
Caters To Everyone’s Needs
The RAV4 continues to retain the typical Toyota solid build SUV design with an overwhelming road presence and offers plenty of cabin space for both passengers and luggage. The cargo space with the second-row seats down is 63.1 cu.ft. and with the rear seats up it is a decent 33.5 cu.ft. As happy as the RAV4 is in urban conditions, the TRD Off-Road trim feels right at home in challenging conditions as it has 8.6 inches ground clearance, sports a stainless steel front skid-plate, various traction control modes, knobby all-terrain tires for additional grip, and suspensions specially set up for off-roading.
The RAV4 is efficient, capable and value-for-money as the standard petrol is from MSRP $26,350 onwards, hybrid starts from MSRP $28,900 and the PHEV begins from MSRP $38,350.