TOYOTA COMES THROUGH WITH HYBRID CROSSOVER
2016 RAV4 the most fuel-efficient non-plug-in you can find
GATINEAU, QUE. Everybody wants to buy a crossover these days, and everybody wants to save a bit of money at the pumps. So, who wouldn’t want to buy a crossover hybrid? At least, that’s Toyota’s thinking in making its new 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. First seen at the New York Auto Show in the spring, the refreshed-for-2016 RAV4 compact crossover family is now being rolled out.
While the gas-only RAV4 lineup of front- or all-wheel-drive, fivepassenger crossovers gets the typical exterior, interior and engineering mid-life upgrades (mainly to stay competitive with mainstream rivals such as the Honda CR-V and the heavily updated 2017 Ford Escape), the big news is the addition of the RAV4 Hybrid, a new model that immediately becomes the most fuel-efficient non-plug-in compact crossover you can buy.
While Toyota has tried to pitch its Prius V as a hybrid crossover, the tall wagon’s lack of traction at all four wheels and unconventional styling have limited its sales. And after flirting with low-volume, all-electric versions of the RAV4 between 1997 and 2003, and again in 2012 to 2014 in the U.S., a more practical and accessible hybrid version based on proven Toyota hardware makes a lot of sense.
In truth, the new all-wheel-drive 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (initially available as high-end $34,465 XLE and $38,265 Limited versions, base MSRP) has already been on sale since last year. You may know it as the $59,450 Lexus NX 300h AWD, which shares the Toyota’s platform and Atkinson-cycle 2.5-litre gas-four with a second rear-mounted axle motor for traction at all four wheels, and a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Rated at 194 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque, the new 2016 RAV4 Hybrid offers a substantial upgrade over the non-hybrid RAV4’s carry-over 2.5-L gas mill’s 176 hp and 172 lb-ft. And the RAV4 Hybrid, at around 7.5 seconds, is about one second quicker from zero to 100 km/h than a comparable gas model and — more importantly — gets better fuel economy, too.
The RAV4 Hybrid is expected to use 6.9 L/100 km in the city and 7.2 on the highway. I had less than an hour of seat time during the oneday driving event held on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, but in a mix of city and suburban traffic, I saw an indicated 6.8 L/100 km. I’m sure some hypermilers out there can do better, but that’s still an improvement over the most fuelefficient gas-only RAV4’s 8.9 L/100 km combined estimate.
As for the rest of the new RAV4 Hybrid’s driving experience, there are few surprises. Because Toyota’s been at this hybrid thing since the mid-1990s, the refinement levels of its gas-electric systems are second to none, which means the transition from electric to gas and back in the RAV4 Hybrid is virtually unnoticeable, and the crossover’s regenerative brakes are less grabby than in hybrid vehicles from other automakers (hello, BMW).
Like the Lexus NX 300h, the RAV4 Hybrid gets selectable drive modes. I found small dash buttons for Normal, Sport, Eco and EV modes, but the real-world differences are minor. In EV mode, you won’t drive far in the Toyota hybrid crossover on electric power alone (I only saw a few metres after accelerating from a stoplight). Sport mode won’t have you booking a trip to a racetrack, because the RAV4 Hybrid’s suspension has been tuned for comfort first, resulting in plenty of body movement in tight corners, and steering feel is about as limp as a day-old trout.
That said, the interior upgrades the entire RAV4 family receives make all the 2016 models feel more upscale than ever. The RAV4’s driver instrumentation has been updated, including a larger touch screen infotainment system and a surround-view parking-assist feature. There is more use of softtouch materials, available twotone interiors and more noise insulation, among other additions and refinements.
Of the non-hybrid 2016 RAV4s available at the event, I got behind the wheel of the new-for-2016 RAV4 SE AWD trim level. At $34,620, the sportiest RAV4 you can buy sits nearer the top-of-the-line $37,500 Limited AWD rather than the base front-wheel-drive $24,990 LE. To distinguish it among lesser versions, the RAV4 SE gets some typical sporty bits, including black exterior accents and black-painted 18-inch wheels, a mesh grille and trendy LED exterior lights. Inside, SE exclusives include paddle shifters and so-called Softex seat upholstery with unique stitching.
Toyota says the SE gets a “sporttuned” suspension, yet the sportiest of RAV4s will not get the hearts of driving enthusiasts pounding very hard. The Toyota’s vanilla driving characteristics are closer to the Honda CR-V than some of the more athletic rivals, such as the Ford Escape or Mazda CX-5.
While Toyota has tried to pitch its Prius V as a hybrid crossover, the tall wagon’s lack of traction at all four wheels and unconventional styling have limited its sales. Automotive writer John Leblanc says.