Toyota says it is repositioning RAV4 away from the traditional SUV-like driving experience towards a more premium car feel. Judging by the quality of materials, general fit and finish, coupled to the on road driving experience I can’t argue with this. Toyota has worked hard on the car’s suspension and also on how the all new electric power steering mechanism is mounted to reduce NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) levels and the result is notable.
The car is lower, but with more rear headroom and thanks to redesigned suspension RAV4 is longer and has a wider track. The seats feature the new ‘flexi’ folding system that is very easy to use plus there’s a bigger boot.
Sadly the exterior has lost some of its ‘chunky off road look’. The front is an evolution of the handsome old RAV4 but the side view is surprisingly bland as is the rear. In fact if the spare wheel wasn’t mounted on the back you might think the RAV4 was a jacked up Corolla hatchback. Inside, the cabin is a much higher class affair featuring a split level dash arrangement and quality materials. The only niggle I have concerns the main dials that could be set a little higher in the driver’s eye-line.
RAV4 in 1994 single-handedly launched the small SUV sector. The 2-litre petrol ‘permanent’ four-wheel-drive car was quick and could out sprint most GTIs and the new car is certainly no slouch. The second generation RAV arrived in 2000 and when the first diesel came on stream in 2001 it sent Toyota to the top of the SUV sales charts in Europe. The all new RAV4 features sophisticated innovations but it’s not all good news as the poor selling youthful three-door version is discontinued. Gone too is the big selling two-wheel drive 1.8-litre version.
The new car, like most small SUVs these days, will use an ECU controlled four-wheel-drive set up that will power the front wheels mainly, only supplying power to the rear (up to 45%) when extra traction is needed. This will help reduce fuel consumption.
Underneath the new car are a host of safety measures that make RAV4 perhaps the best handling SUV on the market. On higher specified models RAV4 combines 4WD (4-wheel-drive) with ‘Torque Assist’ EPS (electric power steering) and VSC (vehicle stability control) to keep the RAV4 on course in adverse driving conditions.
Toyota has cleverly interlinked these three individual systems. Each road wheel has a sensor that detects exactly what is going on. ‘Yaw’ and ‘deceleration’ sensors send data to the ‘Skid Control’ ECU, which reacts instantaneously to keep the RAV4 on its intended course. RAV4’s ‘Big Brother’ can adjust engine output, apply brakes to individual wheels, assist you to steer in the right direction and shift traction between the front and rear wheels as appropriate. I took the old and then new RAV4 through a series of skid and braking tests in conditions that had me working the steering wheel hard in the old car and very little in the new.
The engine range features a 2-litre petrol (152bhp) and two 2.2-litre diesels with outputs of 135bhp (D4D) and 180bhp (DCAT). The 135bhp diesel is my choice, feeling strong and meaty. The 180bhp DCAT is the top of the range RAV4 and has an impressive 400nm of torque on tap! Prices will be announced at the car’s Irish launch on 13 February.
Michael Sheridan
