MOTORING REVIEW: Toyota adds PHEV to its RAV4 range

TOYOTA  added a long-range All Wheel Drive Plug-in hybrid version to its best-selling flagship RAV4 hybrid SUV at the end of last year. In looks, it’s not much different from its hybrid sibling except for a few things such as the additional charging port and some PHEV badges.

PHEVs have an important role to play as a stepping stone for those motorists who are not yet ready to go pure electric. This latest addition is the most powerful RAV4 yet with 306hp/225kW delivering class-leading power and efficiency.

It is offered with a 4-cylinder, 2.5 litre 218hp hybrid petrol engine and an intelligent AWD system. On the go, you can switch seamlessly from hybrid to pure EV through the four-mode drive selector. When the battery is empty, the hybrid system will power you on to your destination so there’s absolutely no need for any range anxiety, except perhaps if you fail to keep an eye on your petrol gauge!

The dual energy delivered by this hybrid technology and high-capacity 18.1kW lithium-ion battery allows instant acceleration and a range of up to 75km in pure EV mode - on a full battery charge - or over 90kms in city driving. It means you drive electric for urban use and revert to petrol when undertaking long journeys.

The interior is stylish and spacious providing ample room for five people, front and rear. Even with a tall person seated in front, there is ample leg and foot room behind and the person in the middle seat won’t be much bothered by the almost flat ‘tunnel’ which is plastic topped. Sports seats come with a very striking two-tone red and black combination of fabric and synthetic leather as standard. The driver’s seat has power controls and lumbar support while the front passenger’s has manual adjustments. Front and back seats can be heated.

Black roof lining, black soft leather-like materials, and piano black centre console give quite a dark look to the cabin, relieved by some silverware and red stitching on the dash, gear shifter and doors.

The big 9-inch Multimedia touchscreen provides access to the car’s entertainment, connectivity systems and smartphone integration using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. I rather liked the chunky ventilation control knobs which are rubber coated and which, I expect, will wear well. There are numerous USB ports front and rear to keep everyone connected. 

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The driver’s instrumentation screen shows your current speed in large digital form and all the charge and petrol gauge read outs. When I returned the car, it showed a total average fuel consumption of 5.4 L/100kms (52mpg) which is very good going for a big car this size.

At 500 litres, boot space is a tad less than the hybrid to make way for the bigger battery below the boot floor. The high power tailgate proved useful and there was a large spare wheel.

Grades are Sol and Sport, the latter being my review car which was in a smart Pearl Red exterior colour. Sport grade is available only as a bi-tone with a black roof which, with the privacy glass, contrasted nicely with the vibrant red colour.

Toyota’s comprehensive suite of active safety and driver assistance systems is standard across the RAV4 range. It includes Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, a Pre-Collision System with pedestrian day and night-time and cyclist daytime detection, active Cruise Control that works with Road Sign Recognition, Brake Assist, and Hill Start Assist Control, to name but some. But no blind spot alert!

On the road, the RAV4 PHEV with AWD can handle mud, track or motorway driving. Being a hybrid, there’s a CVT automatic transmission for ease of driving. Performance-wise, its 306hp output allows the car to sprint, yes sprint, from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds.

The RAV4 PHEV offered a smooth drive for everyone on board, which for most of my time with the car was a full house of family members home on holiday. It takes uneven surfaces in its stride and proved quite agile. Towing capacity unbraked is 750kg, with brakes 1500kg.

Charging from a standard 13A plug takes an overnight eight hours, while a home wallbox charger reduces that to three hours.

Toyota give a standard warranty of 3 years/100,000kms.

The Sol entry RAV4 is priced from €51,890, the Sport grade is from €53,835. Annual road tax is €140.