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Toyota’s RAV4 crossover SUV has sold more than 10 million units worldwide, and now the Japanese automaker is raising the bar even further with the launch of its most powerful version yet. The car is equipped with an 18.1kWh battery and a powerful 2.5-liter gasoline engine. It is said that the pure electric vehicle can travel 46 miles per charge. That should be enough for daily commuting, while the low carbon emissions of 22g/km will be most attractive for business drivers.
The RAV4 plug-in hybrid uses an all-wheel drive system and is available in only two styles, Design and GR Sport. We opted for the entry-level Design PHEV specification, which is definitely not basic and costs £45,395.
Toyota recently partnered with Japanese manufacturer Suzuki to share RAV4 technology and platform. So don’t be surprised to see a RAV4-looking model sporting a Suzuki badge and being called an Across.
How we test
We explored mid-Wales and beyond along 150 miles of roads, taking in some motorways, quaint villages and winding country roads. The RAV4 is comfortable, efficient and delivers an enjoyable all-around experience.
Independent Rating: 8/10
- advantage: Efficient, practical, comfortable, reliable and decent pure electric vehicle series that maintains its value
- shortcoming: The e-CVT gearbox may be less refined if pushed further, it’s not cheap and some rivals are easier to drive
Toyota RAV4 specifications
- Price range: £45,395
- Battery size: 18.1kWh
- Maximum electric vehicle driving range: 46.4 miles
- engine: 2.5L gasoline
- Claimed battery and engine range: To be determined
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
The Toyota RAV4 is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that works with an 18.1kWh battery and two electric motors (one on each axle) for all-wheel drive. With 302 horsepower, the RAV4 can hit 62 mph from a standstill in just 6.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 112 mph.
With the average daily commute just under 20 miles, the RAV4 has an electric range of 46 miles, which it can easily meet as long as it’s not driven too much. And there’s always a petrol engine as backup should the need arise. The official fuel efficiency figure is 282.5 miles per gallon in WLTP testing, but this is only possible if the battery is regularly charged and the electric vehicle range is maximized. In fact, fuel consumption is expected to be about 45 mpg — our average during our week-long loan.
The car starts and moves away in electric mode by default, and can reach a top speed of 84 mph in this state. Then, when extra power is needed, the gasoline engine kicks in. The automatic transmission’s acceleration is smooth and responsive as long as you don’t press the gas pedal. Do this and you get a lot of roar and very little speed – because that’s a quirk of the type of gearbox used here, engine revs and sound don’t always match speed and acceleration.
But if you drive with a little care, there’s enough power to overtake slower vehicles or slip onto the highway. This is a car that effortlessly burns up motorway miles, cruising comfortably at 70 mph, but is well-balanced and grounded when faced with more challenging winding country lanes.
The slightly raised seating position gives the driver good all-round visibility, and there’s a reversing camera with dynamic guidance to help when squeezing into tight parking spaces. Driving modes called Eco, Normal and Sport vary the car’s dynamics, and there’s an Off-Road mode to help you off-road.
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As with other plug-in hybrids, the driver can let the system do its thinking, or control how and when the battery is used and charged while driving. For example, there are pure EV settings, a charge mode that charges the battery via the gasoline engine while driving, a charge hold setting that keeps the battery at its current level, and an autonomous EV/Hybrid setting that provides the most efficient combination of battery and engine power.
Refinement is good, with just a bit of pavement and wind noise seeping into the cabin at highway speeds. The suspension is set up to smooth out all but the roughest pavement along the way.
Interior, practicality, trunk space
Toyota RAV4 is a practical family SUV with a length of 4.6 meters and a width of 1.85 meters. The wheelbase is nearly 2.7 meters, and the cab is spacious, with room for two tall adults in the front and two adults in the back. A third can be accommodated, but ideally the rear space is best suited for three youngsters.
The seats are powered so finding the ideal driving position is easy, and the front and rear outboard seats and steering wheel are heated for added convenience. The neat cloth interior looks and feels like it will stand the test of time, while high-end GR Sport models come with leather seats. There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces and eye-catching chrome accents throughout the cabin.
The boot, accessed via the electric tailgate, can hold 520 liters of luggage and shopping – with the rear seats folded down to the rear tonneau cover, capacity increases to 1,168 liters. If measured to the roof, the limit increases further to 1,604 liters.
There are plenty of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin, including the glove box, central locker, door bins, front and rear cup holders, rear seat pockets, sunglass holders and there’s even a handy place to store one pound coins from the supermarket trolley – something I always forget!
Technology, stereo and infotainment
The main focus inside the RAV4 is the 10.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, which controls the six-speaker sound system, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the car’s DAB radio and reversing camera.
Behind the steering wheel is a 12.3-inch digital driver display with all important data clearly displayed, such as speed, battery level, EV range and speed limit.
Touchscreen functionality is perfectly integrated with physical switches and dials. All climate systems are controlled from separate panels, and there’s a chunky gear selector, a rotary dial for switching drive modes, and buttons for controlling hybrid settings such as charging the battery, maintaining charge, driving in electric-only mode or selecting the most efficient combination of hybrid and EV technology. Since some other hybrids hide these settings in a touchscreen submenu, this is a welcome move from Toyota.
Price and running costs
The Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid is sold in two trim levels. As tested, design spec is priced at £45,395, but if you want to upgrade to the GR Sport version, it’ll cost you £50,245. Our test car had optional metallic paint, which costs an extra £680 and allows for some modifications to the car, such as fenders and boot liner, or side steps and a towing package, but the car is very well equipped as standard.
With carbon emissions based on WLTP testing of 22g/km, road tax will cost £110 in the first year, increasing to the standard charge of £195 after 12 months. But the cost exceeds the government’s expensive car subsidy threshold of £40,000, resulting in an extra £425 in years two to six.
If the car’s battery is charged regularly and the driver takes full advantage of those dozens of miles of electric-only range, it’s easy to recoup some of the cost. Business drivers wishing to drive a RAV4 will enjoy a 9% in-kind tax benefit.
The vehicle is insured in Class 36 and is sold with a standard 3-year, 60,000-mile Toyota warranty package, which can be extended to 10 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first) if repairs are performed at a Toyota Authorized Repair Center.
Toyota RAV4 PHEV Competitors
FAQ
How long does it take to charge?
If plugged into a 7kW home or work wall box, the 18.1kWh battery can be fully charged in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
How much does it cost – and is it worth it?
The RAV4 is certainly not a cheap option these days, but at an asking price of £45,395 you do get a whole lot of car with all the creature comforts you could want. You also get a powertrain that draws on years of Toyota technology and expertise.
Does Toyota replace batteries for free?
The RAV4 is sold with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty package covering the vehicle itself, although the warranty can be extended to 10 years or 100,000 miles if the car is regularly serviced at a Toyota-approved repair center.
Why trust us
Our team of automotive experts has decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest electric vehicles, and our conclusions are drawn with a variety of driver scenarios in mind. We thoroughly test drive every vehicle we recommend, so you can be confident that our conclusions are honest, unbiased, and factual.
Judgment
I was a fan of the original three-door RAV4, and I felt cheated when that model was withdrawn and only the five-door version remained. But the car has matured over the generations, and with the addition of plug-in hybrid technology, it’s a sound investment with impressive residual value.