Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2019 Review

The Toyota RAV4 has gone through numerous iterations over five generations; some good, some not so good. For the latest version, Toyota has pulled it all together with a glittering array of permutations that make it an almost-scary presence for other volume-selling mid-size SUV segment contenders.

Ditching diesel, offering two conventional petrol engines to choose from while making hybrid technology available across a broad spectrum of 2WD and AWD variants, the latest RAV4 has something for just about everyone. Pricing, before on-roads, spans from $30,640 for the six-speed manual-gearbox, front-drive GX to $47,140 for the AWD 2.5-litre Edge variant, and the safety kit is exceedingly generous from the base model up.

The engine line-up includes a 127kW/203Nm 2.0-litre, an Edge-variant-only 152kW/243Nm 2.5-litre and, for the hybrid, an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-litre four-cylinder that produces 131kW/221Nm on its own and, in AWD form, is boosted with the aid of the electric motor to a total of 163kW (160kW for front-drive variants). An “electric AWD” hybrid system does away with a propeller shaft to the rear wheels and instead employs an extra electric motor up back for the same affect.

It's a weight-saving/fuel-saving driveline that's at odds with the non-hybrid RAV4 Edge, the all-wheel drive range-topper resorting to an eight-speed auto gearbox that sends power rearwards via a conventional propeller shaft.

At $41,140 before on-road costs the Toyota RAV4 AWD hybrid GXL sits at the upper end of the RAV4 price scale, but doesn’t miss out on much compared with the (non-hybrid) range-topping Edge version. In your newly-enlarged RAV4 you get the full spectrum of safety technology that Toyota is intent on embracing in its latest roll-out of new models, including the latest Corolla hatch.

Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian/cyclist detection, lane departure/lane-keep (with semi-autonomous “lane tracing” thrown in for good measure), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and the ability to read speed signs are all present in the RAV4, even on the cheapest, manual-transmission GX version – which is also available in front-drive, CVT-transmission hybrid form.

At GXL level, the RAV4 forgoes power front seats, part-leather trim and seat heating, but it does come with self-dipping LED headlights, climate-control and satellite navigation.

Toyota’s recently-extended warranty covers the RAV4 for unlimited kilometres travelled over a five-year period. RAV4 owners will also appreciate Toyota's capped-price servicing, which costs $210 per visit for the first five services or 75,000km, whichever comes first.

The complexity of the various Toyota RAV4 drive systems is compensated by a conventional, but very spacious cabin layout that includes an unequivocally generous boot which, in AWD form, provides two levels of loading for a maximum 580 litres with all seats in place.

For some reason Toyota doesn’t provide any figures for the RAV’s total, seats-folded load capacity, but we believe it’s 1690 litres – which rates it as better than average in its class. Our test car had no trouble at all swallowing a full-size, dual-suspension mountain bike, wheels attached, its inherent muddiness mitigated by the reversible boot flooring.

The whole RAV4 range is heavily hybrid-centric, which made our petrol-electric GXL pretty good value compared with conventional-driveline competitors including Mazda CX-5 Touring ($40,780), the top-spec Honda CR-V VTi-LX ($44,290) and Nissan X-Trail ST-L ($39,400).

And it’s notably smooth in terms of power delivery. The mechanicals, silky-smooth and silent at most operating speeds, only begin to reveal themselves under pressure, where the standard CVT characteristics, though muted, are always noticeable and the combination of petrol and electricity doesn’t quite feel as if it’s producing the claimed combined output of 163kW.

The steering is relatively light and low-geared, going from lock to lock in 2.7 turns (for an 11-metre turning circle), while the chunky 225/60R18 tyres are quite grippy and the suspension settings are inclined more towards a comfort orientation than sports.

Thankfully, the AWD RAV4’s 1500kg towing capability is much better than front-drive versions and quite competitive in its class.

The latest Toyota RAV4 launched locally in May 2019 and, at the time of writing, was still finding its feet in the marketplace. Increased sales over 2018 reflect its newness but still leave it in second place behind Mazda’s segment-leading CX-5 on year-to-date figures.

At launch, the new RAV4 range comprised:
GX Petrol 2WD manual ($30,640),
GX Petrol 2WD CVT ($32,640),
GXL Petrol 2WD CVT ($35,640),
Cruiser Petrol 2WD CVT ($39,140),
GX Hybrid 2WD CVT ($35,140),
GXL Hybrid 2WD CVT ($38,140),
Cruiser Hybrid 2WD CVT ($41,640),
GX Hybrid AWD CVT ($38,140),
GXL Hybrid AWD CVT (reviewed here at $41,140),
Cruiser Hybrid AWD CVT ($44,640),
and Edge Petrol AWD Auto ($47,140).

Toyota has an intuitive sense of what the market wants and the latest RAV4 doesn’t stray from that understanding. There are very few flaws in its execution, suitability for task, value and, most significantly, its rock-solid reliability.

In many Toyotas of the past this rock-solidity has been interpreted more as stolidity. Suffice to say the Japanese importer has moved away from those conceptions with the new RAV.

It’s not the lithe, compact SUV it started as, but there’s an economy of line, a balance of dynamic capabilities and comfort and, still, the underlying knowledge that it’s not about to throw any reliability wobblies a few years down the track. As a mid-size family SUV, the RAV4 is more outstanding in its chosen environment than it ever has been.

The ever-expanding SUV segment sees the Toyota RAV4 up against a swag of capable, refined and safety-savvy competitors. Segment leaders Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsubishi Outlander and Subaru Forester are the vanguard of a long list of mid-size SUVs that are scrabbling for a part of what is arguably the most competitive and bloodthirsty market segment.

The RAV4’s cabin is comfortable for up to five, there’s little lacking in the way of amenities and although there are a few quibbles about the lack of outward vision for smaller passengers in the low-set rear seat, it’s a nice place in which to travel, even over long distances.

The fuel economy, as you’d hope, is excellent (we recorded 5.3L/100km on test, which compared pretty well with the official figure of 4.8L/100km) and is a vindication of Toyota’s lack of interest in diesels, at least in this segment of the market.

The latest RAV4 is impressive not just for way it steps up to the plate as a do-anything (almost) family wagon, but also for its overall refinement and lack of compromises. Safety? Check. Passenger space? Check. Load capacity? Check. Performance and economy? Check. Personality? Check.

It seemed, to some, that the Toyota RAV4 was heading along a path of cumulative, middle-age blandness. The compact liveliness and immediacy of early versions was giving way to more girth, more weight and a decreasing appeal to those customers who originally flocked to it.

In its latest generation, the originally trail-blazing RAV4 has redeemed itself, which is good for the badge, and good for the Toyota brand.

2019 Toyota RAV4 GXL hybrid pricing and specifications:
Price: $42,423 (including on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid
Output: 163kW (combined)/221Nm (reciprocating engine only)
Transmission: continuously variable
Fuel: 4.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 109g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP