“Toyota’s
RAV4
compact SUV range
is already an
acknowledged ‘good
buy’. But for 2008,
Toyota has added
more high-value, high-
specification models,
badged XT-R, with
£1,565 of ‘added value’.
Looks like RAV4
customers just can’t
lose...”
DESPITE THE BEST ATTEMPTS OF THE SELF-APPOINTED 'GREEN' LOBBY,
environ-mentalists, tax-grabbing politicians and greedy fuel companies, UK
customers for SUVs and 4x4s have basically put two fingers in the air and
continued buying such vehicles during 2007.
Official figures from the SMMT show that sales of SUV, 4x4 and dual-purpose
vehicles actually increased last year to 176,290 registrations: an increase
of 485 units. This makes it the fourth largest sales sector in the UK's new
car market. The continued demand was due in part to the increased number of
models and the diversity in size of vehicles introduced to the market in 2007.
The overall new car market in the UK for 2007 was up by 2.5 per cent to 2,404,007
registrations with fuel-efficient diesel models increasing their share of
the market to 40.2 per cent. Private sales also increased by 1.2 per cent
to take a 43.5 per cent share of the new car market.
While the car industry has managed to lower the average new car CO2 figure
by 1.4 per cent (to 164.9g/km), it is still quite happy to feed customer demand
to buy the vehicle of their choice. And to date cus-tomers — at least
for the time being — have voted with their cheque-books to confirm that
they want to buy more and more SUVs.
SUVs, 4x4, call them what you will, come in a huge range of sizes and prices
— from the big and expensive Range Rovers, Mercedes-Benz GL, Audi Q7,
BMW X5, Jeeps — through to medium-sized Land Rover Free-landers, the
Honda CR4, Nissan X-Trail, more Jeeps, the emerging Korean Kia and Hyundai
brands which include Sportage, Santa Fe and Tuscon models, the new Peugeot
4007 and Citroen C-Crosser (and its Mitsubishi Outlander stablemates) as well
as the Toyota RAV4. We also have the small SUVs such as the Jimny and, of
course, working 4x4 Double Cabs such as the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi L200
ranges plus the farmer's friend — the Land Rover County workhorses. On
top of all that there are now numerous cars and estates with all-wheel drive.
Toyota has begun 2008 by introducing additional high-value, high-specification
models — badged XT-R — to their RAV4 range of compact (or mid-sized)
SUV range. And these newcomers are expected to become the most popular variants
in Europe's best-selling SUV range.
Available with the choice of 2.0-litre petrol or 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine
options, the additional XT-R models are priced from £19,995 to £21,245. The
'added value' for XT-R customers in terms of specification is around £1,565,
and these versions come with Bluetooth phone con-nectivity, cruise control,
rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels and rear privacy glass. Only the
desirable options such as leather uphol-stery and satellite navigation are
missing.
The all-new RAV4 is the third generation of the world's most successful compact
SUV, and was launched in the UK nearly a year ago. Toyota claim the model
established new benchmarks for driving performance, quality, passenger comfort
and equipment.
It might not outsell the Honda CR-V in the UK or out-perform the Free-lander
off-road or perhaps, for some customers, have the same brand cachet as Land
Rover. But it does have huge appeal as family transport and is highly regarded
for its quality, refinement and driving perfor-mance on-road — where,
let's be honest, most SUVs spend their life anyway.
The RAV4 has an understated, five-door body and, best of all, the looks do
not scream 'flashy 4x4 gas-guzzler'. It is longer and wider than previous
versions, but is easier to manoeuvre. It is not overly large: just 4,395mm
in length (so shorter than Toyota's Avensis hatchback); 1,815mm wide; and
1,720mm high. So it will fit neatly into a normal-sized garage and can be
easily negotiated in and out of multi-story car parks. It is very user-friendly
and because it takes up no more road space than a medium-sized family car,
even for the infamously anti-social school run using a 4x4 can be undertaken
without feeling guilty.
Compact it may be, but the latest RAV4 has improved interior space including
47 per cent more luggage room — 586 to 1469-litres, depen-ding on whether
the Easy Flat folding rear seats are folded away or not. The RAV is not, however,
space-perfect. For a six-footer, the driver's area, whilst not cramped, feels
crowded: I just felt I needed
to get the seat further back an inch or so, although the adjustable (height
and reach) steering wheel generally gave a comfortable position. Knee space
in the rear is also limited but headroom is good. The rear seating width is
fine for two adults and perhaps one child. When folded down, the rear seats
do not lay completely flat but the load area is long and wide, and access
is hindered by the side-hinged rear door which doesn't open quite wide enough.
My test RAV4 was the XT5 2.2 D-4D 140 (134bhp) turbodiesel model with a six-speed
manual transmission that, priced at £25,845, sits close to the top of the
range. On the face of it, this is a relatively costly model but it is the
comprehensive specification which pushes
up the price. If you can live without leather upholstery, heated front seats
and a DVD navigation system, the new XT-R version with the same engine, and
priced at £21,425, is the sensible choice.
Standard equipment for the XT5 includes, as mentioned, leather upholstery,
heated front seats and a DVD satellite navigation system, along with Bluetooth
connectivity, front, side, curtain and driver's knee airbags, cruise control,
remote central locking and alarm, remote key fob with a 'smart start/entry'
system, climate control air conditioning, electric sunroof, electrically-operated
windows and door mirrors, front fog lights and alloy wheels. In addition there
is Integrated Active Drive. This means that the automatic two- or four-wheel
drive system includes vehicle stability control, traction control and hill
start assist. The all-wheel drive system also has a button for engaging the
four-wheel drive 'lock' facility for slippery and off-road conditions.
The instrumentation, including the on-board information computer read-out,
are well positioned and fully visible but the switches and controls in the
stylish centre console are not, initially, very logical to use and it takes
a while to work out what does what. Overall, the interior of the RAV4 is built
and equipped to a very high level of quality and specification so it's no
real surprise that owners love them.
The overall quality of ride and driving control are also to be praised. The
suspension, although on the firm side, gives a comfortable ride while minimising
body-roll. The RAV4 is pretty agile on-road and probably the best in the sector.
It is easy to drive around town and remains pleasing and non-tiring to drive
on country lanes or motor-ways. Okay, perhaps the steering could offer better
feedback, but that's a minor point. There is some road noise intrusion over
rougher road surfaces but I suspect that, and the firm-ish ride, has more
to
do with the bigger road wheels and the wider section tyres.
The RAV4 is available with three engine choices: a 151bhp 2.0-litre VVT-i
petrol unit; a 2.2-litre D-4D 140 (134bhp) diesel; and a 174bhp '180' diesel.
By far the most popular and sensible option for most owners is the 140 turbodiesel
which produces 134bhp alongside 229lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm.
Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, with long-legged fifth and sixth
gears, it makes for a package that's economical on fuel. The engine is strong
and responsive, if somewhat noisy under acceleration. Top speed is 112mph
and 0-62mph takes 10.5 seconds. The official average fuel economy is 42.8mpg
and during two weeks of fairly typical motoring (lanes, main roads, motorways
and in-town driving) my test RAV4 returned 39.8mpg overall. At 173g/km, the
CO2 emissions are relatively low for a SUV and put it in road tax Band E —
a year's road tax will cost you £165. Oh, and all that torque means it has
a towing capacity of 2,000kg.
Apart from a few niggles already mentioned in the review, there's much to
commend this RAV4: Sensible compact size, overall quality, compre-hensive
levels of specification, lots of storage space, safety equip-ment, sharp handling
and good driveability, reliability and sensible fuel economy. More than enough
to say that the latest Toyota RAV4 pleases. Even if it isn't the number one
seller in its sector in the UK, all of the elements listed above make it a
highly-respected and desirable compact SUV around the world. Customers thinking
of buying a mid-sized SUV should give it very serious consideration. —
David Miles
 Toyota RAV4 XT5 2.2 D-4D | £25,845 Maximum speed: 112mph | 0-62mph: 10.5 seconds Overall test MPG: 39.8mpg | Power: 134bhp | Torque: 229lb ft CO2 173g/km | VED Band E £165 | Insurance group 11 Visit Toyota's website  |
