Toyota kicked off the Los Angeles Show with the launch of the fourth incarnation of the RAV4 – a product that established the compact SUV/crossover segment almost twenty years ago. It’ll be here in April and we have the details…
It seems as if the Toyota RAV4 has been with us forever, well, actually it’s from around the mid-Nineties to be precise, and these days virtually every volume passenger vehicle manufacturer offers a soft-roader or compact SUV. Most recently, Nissan, Kia and Hyundai have stolen the march in terms of public appeal with products that have more family- and boutique attributes than significant off-road ability – and the new RAV4 is not all that different.
However, the RAV4 has shed its innocuous styling in favour of a (comparatively) svelte design that urges one to move in for a closer look. LED-laced headlamps leer from opposing ends of a slim grille and blend into a tapered front bumper. The swathe lines along the flanks of the vehicle aren’t subtle; they culminate in pronounced shoulders over the rear-three quarter panels and, what’s more, protruding and elongated tail-light clusters are strong reminders of the FJ’s chunky posterior adornments.
The newcomer’s interior is characterised by a feature-packed two-tier facia with handsome stitching along the edges of the soft-touch dashboard. Naturally the vehicles on show were all kitted out with all the trimmings, such as electrically-adjustable driver’s seats, dual-zone climate control and even an auto-close power tail-gate, but the good news for local consumers is that most of the models on our market will be equipped with a smartphone-friendly Toyota touch interface infotainment system that operates in conjunction with a parking assist rear-view camera.
Not only does the new RAV4 feature a wider body and track than its predecessor, which should result in better ride stability and interior comfort, but the newcomer is also a notably more practical as a family vehicle; dual front-, side and curtain airbags will feature on most models, and the spacious boot can be accessed via a low loading sill. Not only is the utility area completely flat when the 60/40 split rear seats are folded, but a full-sized spare is provided under the boot board as well as a storage space for the luggage cover cassette.
The model line-up will comprise two- and four-wheel drive derivatives with a choice of two-litre petrol and turbodiesel motors as well as a 2,5-litre flagship gasoline engine mated with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. In the case of four-wheel drive models, a dynamic torque control system (it includes auto, lock and sport modes) will apportion torque between the front and rear axles as prevailing road conditions – or a pilot’s driving style – require.
Toyota SA’s senior manager for corporate communications Leo Kok says the firm will be very competitive in terms of the entry-level (2,0-litre petrol front wheel drive) model’s launch price when the RAV4 arrives in the second quarter, but that does not mean that the lower-end model will be specified sparsely.
“The new RAV4 has all the elements that made its predecessor popular, but has expanded them in a variety of ways. The newcomer has a strong presence that demonstrates Toyota’s dedication to its new, progressive design strategy.
“The RAV4 is also a versatile lifestyle vehicle by design. It offers the driving refinement, efficient performance, comfort and convenience that many young families demand, but it retains the original RAV4’s fun factor,” he concluded.
