The fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 hybrid is one of the most demanded hybrid SUV that the company unveiled to the market. RAV4 hybrid SUV is a great hybrid vehicle to commute in motorways, as well as towing a huge amount of weights and travel with.
This vehicle might have adopted more of the eye-catching origami-like style at the smaller Toyota C-HR. but the ruffle isn’t traditionally a kind of iPods looks. this is a car that has thrived on having a reputation for hopeless reliability comfort and utility.
It’s the vehicular equivalent of a slipper than the RAV4. and well that might sound incredibly tedious to some to most people that’s exactly what they want in a car. which would explain why this has got the sort of brand loyalty that most big brand SUVs can only dream of. does this model. which is only available with a hybrid engine.
Pricing
Prices of the Toyota RAV4 hybrid starts from around about 30,000 pounds. deserve that kind of blind loyalty and can it live up to the ever highest standards set by rivals like the Skoda Kodiak, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and the Honda CRV.
You may also like to read: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2020 | Master of PHEVs
Overview
To start with the basics, the Toyota RAV4 hybrid is available as a full hybrid and also PHEV in 2021. but by the way, this car is the same thing as what Toyota describes as a self-charging hybrid. it means that you don’t have to plug the car in. instead it just uses the energy from that two and a half liter four-cylinder petrol engine, and the car’s regenerative braking system to charge up the small battery. that in turn delivers a fair amount of pure electric running at slow speeds. meaning that it’s impressively quiet and efficient around town.
Driving Economy and Efficiency
Regarding the vehicle efficiency, we’ve even seen around 60 MPG and slow around town stuff. so clearly, you know that’s much better than you’re gonna get in an equivalent diesel.
But as soon as you get this car out on – faster roads. 50, 60, even 70 mph on the motorway, the economy dips. and at that point actually, you’re gonna see better economy from your standard efficient diesel SUVs. so have a good long think about the type of driving you to do before you decide that a hybrid is going to be more efficient than any other conventional alternative.
Performance and Handling
You can get the RAV4 hybrid with front-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive. 215 brake horsepower. surprisingly fruity sounding actually in the front-wheel-drive car. and a little bit more than that even in the 4-wheel Drive. but it doesn’t ever feel like a car that you want to drive quickly. stick it in normal or Eco, Drive nice and today don’t accelerate too hard. because that’s when the engine gets noisy. and that’s the worst thing about this car is that it’s. this vehicle is powered by a 2.5-liter engine. it’s just really coarse especially a cold. when you first start, the car is buzzing. so we’d like it to be quieter when you accelerate definitely. but other than that, it’s just a very easy car to drive. easy to see out of nice driving position. it’s such a comfortable natural feeling car to drive. and that is precisely what people will want it to be.
Towing Capacity
Toyota RAV4 hybrid towing capacity is 1,600 kg. that means if you want to tow a car because the RAV4 at best will tow around about 1,600 kilograms,
Honestly, it is pretty poor because a lot of rivals like the Skoda Kodiaq will do more like two, even two and a half tonnes in some cases. so caravanners or horsey types probably what to look elsewhere.
Watch – RAV4 Hybrid Towing Torture Test
Interior and Infotainment
The RAV4 interior is more about being easy to use rather than being pretty. but you know what it doesn’t look bad actually. most of the materials like the leather, all feel quite nice. I like the rubberized climate control switches, and also the fact that the inside of the door handle is rubberized too. which makes it easy to shut the door. it’s just very practical as common sense. all the switches where you expect them to be.
There is an 8-inch touchscreen for infotainment. the graphics let it down and you can’t get apple car play or android auto. so there’s no getting around the fact that it still lags behind its rivals by quite some margin. but because it’s just a straightforward touchscreen. you get these shortcut buttons which are all very straightforward. it is very easy to use. and as long as you’ve got the navigation on it.
Then it does have most of the functions that most people are going to want. there’s even this kind of nifty little place for your phone to sit and two USB inputs in here. so you know there’s a lot about this interior that makes a lot of sense. equipment too is very good. so even on the cheapest car you’re gonna get climate control auto lights and wipers rear parking sensors. still, most people would choose to go for a mid-spec car because that means you get a keyless entry and go front parking sensors as well bigger alloys and if you go for accel trim which is the upper of the two mid specs you even get leather seats and heated seats. this being a Toyota safety is a given so you get adaptive cruise control lane keep assist traffic sign recognition and suite of airbags on every single RAV4 hybrid model. so generally actually not bad at all.
Storage and Space
The Toyota RAV4 hybrid is a great size for a family SUV with decent space for two lanky teens in the back seats and you get a spacious boot that you can extend by dropping those middle seats flat. however, it is worth pointing out that normal Diesel rivals such as the Skoda Kodiak are not only equally good on fuel economy on the motorway, but also offer more room and even seven-seat options. so the RAV4 is a great family SUV. but it is not the most practical SUV on offer at this price.
Summary
Fit for purpose is the phrase that comes to mind with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SUV. yes, it looks pretty cool these days. but more importantly, it’s comfy. it’s likable. it’s practical. and it kind of does everything you want it to. it’s just a shame that it’s not more efficient than plenty of Diesel rivals in most situations at least. and finance costs probably aren’t quite as low as you’d like them to be. you’re looking at about 450 pounds or more for a mid-spec car. even so, low company car costs it’s comfy it’s practical it looks cool. it’s a great family car. so if you can make the maths add up then it’s one of our top picks.
