The history of Toyota tells that its first petrol-electric Prius launched in 1997. Since then, the brand has slowly rolled the tech out across its range, now it can be possible to drive a dual-fuel version of the Yaris supermini, Auris hatchback and of course, the recently launched Mk4 Prius.
Now Toyota is ready to give its rugged RAV4 SUV the hybrid treatment and it is getting this step for the first time.
It has been confirmed by sister firm Lexus, which describes the drivetrain from its NX 300h, meaning of the previous phrase that the RAV4 gets a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, electric motor, continuously variable automatic transmission and a relatively old-fashioned nickel metal hydride battery pack.
Accelerate hard, you feel the electrical assistance, instead, the CVT gearbox gets the engine revs soaring, which reveals the result in an unpleasant, coarse racket in the cabin.
Toyota reveals the RAV4 delivers 195bhp and covers 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, it is not fast as those figures recommend. The car hefty 1785kg kerb-weight reveals that it is 175kg heavier than the equivalent petrol model.
You will have to get this extra mass through a series of corner. Where the Toyota RAV4 diesel engines and petrol engines are surprisingly poised and agile, the hybrid feels ponderous and quickly runs out of grip.
The rest of the car benefits from the same updates as the standard RAV4, so you get the great and sharper styles, tweaked instruments, more standard kit a number of others.
It couldn’t compare to the others models like Renault Kadjar and it couldn’t get the great reputation and fame competing to others. It is still not stylish or upmarket like the others models, but It got the benefit from a roomy interior, large boot and a long five year warranty.
