by Ben Wilby
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has unveiled the latest version of its popular compact sport-utility vehicle, the RAV4 at the LA Auto Show (30 November – 9 December).
First launched in 1994, the range led the way for small off-roaders and for a long time was the market leader in the class – going through major revisions in 2000, 2006 and now 2013.
The new machine is hoping to retain the series’ popularity while bringing it up to date in a crowded market and will feature an exterior and interior redesign.
With this new model they are also promising to fix some of the key problems owners have had with previous models, offering more space, better performance, a more enjoyable drive and higher specifications.
It will be available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive across three new ranges; the Active, Icon and Invincible.
Pricing and features
The new RAV4 starts at a lower entry price than the current model and is priced to undercut the existing entry level model the, XTR 2.2 D-4D 2WD.
This is a clever move, with the current RAV4 starting at over £24,000 it drew criticism from those who believed it was too expensive to compete.
The entry-level ‘Active 2WD’ will be available from £22,595 on-the-road. While the more middle-ranged, ‘Icon’ will be priced from £24,295. The top of the line model, the Invincible will start at £28,195.
Considering they are lowering the price of the new range it is impressive they are also adding a variety of new features.
The new vehicle features Bluetooth, ABS, and perhaps most importantly for caravanners, Hill-start Assist Control as standard. More advanced models will feature rain-sensing wipers and dual-zone automatic air conditioning as well.
Something else that may be of interest for tourer owners will be the Toyota Touch multimedia system’ which features on the Icon and Invincible models, with a DAB digital tuner, and a rear-view camera part of the package.
Those who worry about damaging their caravan may find the Invincible range the best choice for them, as it features Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Monitoring systems.
Looks and practicality’<' . strtolower('Array')>
The series has never been known for its looks, usually offering practicality over appearance, but this model continues the efforts that Toyota begun in 2010 to make the car more attractive.
As a result it is slightly more stylish and more in-line with most modern small SUVs, while maintaining the series’ focus on being useful.
Toyota themselves describe the vehicles looks as “rugged”, a description that is not too far from the design.
However for those who prefer their cars more sleek a Style Pack can be added. This adds a front guard plate, side steps and front and rear scuff plates to the car. A Protection Pack is also available for those with more practical concerns.
This version of the RAV4 is also longer and wider and lower than the last model, and has received a five-star rating from the NCAP crash test programme.
The interior of earlier models has often been described as cheap-looking and this criticism appears to be something Toyota has taken onboard.
The company has pledged to include “high quality materials, including soft padding on many of the touch-points for driver and passengers, crisp trim finishes, new colours and more leather around the instrument panel.'”
There is also more space in the new model, something that is always appreciated by those who have to fit themselves, children and various bit of caravanning equipment on board.
Toyota is going as far as claiming that load space is on a par with large saloons, which should be a boost for those with tourers in tow.
The load space is longer, increasing capacity to 547 litres, and an extra 49 litres of storage has been added to the undertray, meaning it can now hold up to 100 litres.
The side-hung tailgate that has featured on all previous versions of RAV4, and come in for a large amount of criticism, has been replaced with a top-hinged unit.
Fuel efficiency
One area that the new vehicle will excel in is consumption, thanks to its new, fuel- efficient engine. The car features new powertrains that ensure it has a better economy as well as better performance.
In addition to this, the 2.0 litre D-4D D
diesel model features emissions of 127g/km putting it in Band D,, meaning that there is no need to pay road tax in the first year and only £100 per year after then.
More powerful models will not have the same privilege however and the least eco-friendly models will be in tax band I (£215) which will incur a £325 first-year rate as well.
Towing capacity
Toyota has not yet confirmed the kerb weight although it is expected to be around the same as the previous models which ranged from 1550kg to 1650kg.
Using the Caravan Club’s 85 per cent rule it should be able to tow around 1,400kgs, making a tourer such as the Swift Challenger Sport 514 a good match.
The vehicle is competing in a crowded market and faces stiff competition from the Nissan Qashqai and the Honda CR-V among others.
For this reason, Toyota will have had to work hard to retain its foothold as one of the premium models in this class.
The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is available to order now, with deliveries beginning in March 2013.
