![]() ![]() It has a purposeful, some might say aggressive look, to its angular face and flanks that are pleasingly different to the generic rounded look of many competitors. The five-seat RAV4 rides on a conventional MacStrut front and multi-link rear suspension just like Camry and is roughly the same size obviously with more interior space due to the wagon body. Total output is a claimed 160kW, but Toyota is cagey about the powertrain’s total torque, which feels like 350Nm or more with both power sources operating at capacity. Underneath is pretty much a direct lift from Camry hybrid which means a 2.5-litre, petrol four-cylinder Atkinson Cycle engine mated to an electric “motor generator” running through a CVT transmission to the front wheels. No cables, no plugs, no waiting around, no worries. You just jump in, drive, and occasionally put in some (91 RON) petrol. And they’re not as inconvenient as half-baked plug-ins (PHEVs), thank goodness. ![]() Hybrid powertrains might be considered a stop gap en-route to full electrification but the fact remains Toyota’s hybrid petrol electric vehicles are about as good as they get. Better than a diesel engine by a longshot and nearly half what the 2.5-litre petrol model is capable of.Įxtrapolate that to the bowser and it means big weekly savings for the average family. This particular RAV4 is good for around 4.5 – 5.0 litres per 100km economy if you try. RAV4 customers overwhelmingly choose hybrid variants for good reason… they’re cheap to run compared to ICE vehicles and have plenty of get-go. On test, we are looking at the mid-spec, front-wheel drive GXL hybrid that sells for $40,450 plus on-road costs. THERE is a RAV4 for almost everybody in an 11-model range that offers front- and all-wheel drive, hybrid petrol/electric and straight petrol powertrains.
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