![]() ![]() The engine, however, isn’t the smoothest, and is quite noisy even under moderate acceleration which is likely as much down to the CVT automatic gearbox as the engine itself. The RAV4 manages to be both comfortable and reasonably engaging behind the wheel. It's offered in the UK in five different trim levels: Icon, Design, Excel, Dynamic and Adventure (with Icon only being available in front-wheel-drive form). Horsepower, fuel economy, CO2 and acceleration figures differ slightly between the front and four-wheel drive versions, while a CVT automatic gearbox is the only transmission available. The RAV4 hybrid has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet, plus the electric motor and small battery. ![]() For better electric range, you’d be better off with the plug-in hybrid with its bigger battery and lower company-car tax – but you need somewhere to plug it in overnight. That said, the battery is fairly small, so you’ll only get around a mile of zero-emissions driving its main purpose is to take strain off the petrol engine and thus improve economy. The benefit of the system used in the hybrid RAV4 is that it takes energy from the petrol engine and brakes (that would otherwise be wasted) to power the battery a system that Toyota refers to as “ self-charging”, given that there’s no need to plug in. ![]() The hybrid RAV4 offers good value and low running costs, plus no need to plug in to charge. To fight its corner, Toyota has had to up the ante by offering the RAV4 as a full- hybrid and plug-in hybrid, both of which we’ve driven, but it’s the former of which we’re focusing on here. Buyers aren’t short of choice with plenty of rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Honda CR-V. But the latest Toyota RAV4 hybrid seems to have brought back some of the original’s flair. ![]() While the original Toyota RAV4 made the classic SUV more compact and fun to drive, it’s got a little more sedate over the years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |