By Miles Downard
Toyota’s RAV4 was probably one of the first crossover-sort-of-SUVs that I can remember, before the term crossover even existed. It was also rather tiny, with a very short wheelbase and unusual proportions. Over the years it’s grown up into a proper family car but in doing so lost a lot of that charm.Â
This new one though, well, it’s undergone quite a makeover. And having spent a week with one recently, I think a lot of the charm is back.
On the outside
It may not be quite as oddly proportioned as the original RAV4 but it sure is different to what we’ve seen over the last 8 or so years from Toyota. I like it, especially in blue. The rather flat front grille is almost mimicked at the rear, which gives it a profile like no other SUV out there at the moment.
The GX-R derivative we have here is aimed at customers looking for a more rugged exterior appearance and increased off-road usage, accordingly it receives an enlarged upper front grille with broad horizontal slats, a larger more prominent skid-plate and chunky black over-fenders.
On the inside
Toyota has gone for a more outdoorsy theme here too. There are rubberised bits of trim here and there, coloured in orange and black in my test vehicle, which adds some interest to the cabin. Dials are chunky items, almost like you’d find in a Land Rover which are designed to be used while wearing gloves and the like.
Otherwise the cabin is comfortable, spacious and well laid out. With the rear seats laid flat, there’s enough space in the back to fit a 29er mountain bike without removing a wheel which is quite nice. Further to that special note, attention was paid to providing plenty of useful and easily accessible storage for the driver and front passenger and the infotainment system is fairly easy to use.Â
Read also:Â New Toyota Corolla: return of the hatch
Behind the wheel
Something I rather appreciate with Toyota is their desire to keep things simple, which invariably means it’ll work and keep on working for a long time to come. So under the bonnet of the RAV4 GX-R is a 2.0 litre naturally aspirated petrol motor. A CVT automatic gearbox, tried and tested in Toyota’s for some time now, gets power to the wheels. The CVT box can be a little tiresome in its operation, pegging at high revs when you poke the throttle for a little more go but you soon learn to overcome that by altering your driving slightly.
The car sits on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, shared across multiple vehicles, which is 57% stiffer in the RAV4, lowers the centre of gravity and has double-wishbone rear suspension, optimised weight distribution and a suite of safety features. Together with All Wheel Drive the car feels very surefooted on the road and offers some usability off it.
Pricing
In terms of kit the GX-R offers 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, LED headlights, push-button start, a seven-inch display audio and multi-information display (MID), Cruise Control, Reverse Camera and rear Park Distance Control (PDC) are also included. All of that comes in at R516,100 with a 6 year/90,000km service plan and a 3 year warranty.
Picking out some competitors shows just how competitive this segment is. For the same sort of money you can get a Subaru Forester, Nissan X-Trail, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Ford Everest or a VW Tiguan (although the last five in that list don’t have All Wheel Drive at this price point) and that isn’t even all of them.
Verdict
Having been the first of this type of vehicle means the RAV4 has a bit more to live up to in my books and honestly it does so quite well. It’s a nice, solid, dependable family SUV. I’d have a tough time choosing between the RAV4 and the Subaru Forester were it my money on the line. The Forester has more standard equipment, is more capable off-road and has a maintenance plan over the Toyota’s service arrangement, but will no doubt lose more value when it comes to trade in. The RAV4 on the other hand plays a nice middle ground, perhaps not shining in any one particular area but doing all of them rather well.
