Toyota RAV4 Plug-in

Toyota's fifth generation RAV4 is at its most sophisticated in plug-in form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The first plug-in hybrid version of Toyota's RAV4 draws on more than twenty years of the brand's leadership in hybrid powertrain technology to offer customers a 'D'-segment SUV that promises to be not only more powerful than any other in its class but also more efficient in terms of emissions and fuel consumption. There's quite a price to pay for this technology but the stats look tempting.

Background

It's strange that Toyota was one of the last SUV makers to adopt plug-in technology. Primarily because it was the very first brand to introduce plug-in tech of any kind to the market - with the Prius Plug-in of 2012. A second generation of that car was subsequently introduced five years later and we expected to see its technology quickly spread to other Toyota models. This hasn't happened as quickly as expected but at the end of 2019, the brand announced that the fifth generation version of its RAV4, an SUV it originally said needed only self-charging hybrid power, would gain the plug-in variant we're going to look at here.

Driving Experience

With 302 braked horses-worth of combined system output on tap, this plug-in variant offers quite a big step up in power from the standard self-charging RAV4 Hybrid, which offers 215bhp in front-driven form or 219bhp in four-wheel-drive guise. This PHEV variant only comes in 4x4 form and its power increase comes courtesy of a more powerful electric motor paired to a larger high-capacity underfloor lithium-ion battery, with the powertrain featuring a boost converter on the hybrid's power control unit. The 62mph sprint time from rest is claimed to be just 6.0s and this model can run at speeds of up to 84mph with no intervention from the engine.

You'll want to know a bit more about the engine. It's the same 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle hybrid petrol unit used in the conventional RAV4. Toyota's electric all-wheel-drive system is also carried over without change, a set-up which sees the combustion engine and a front electric motor powering the front axle and an additional rear-mounted electric motor driving the rear axle. Both motors incorporate regenerative charging to charge the battery, the extent of which can be controlled by the driver via a pair of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. When fully charged, that battery can take the car to a WLTP-rated 46 mile driving range.

Design and Build

As with most plug-in models in this segment, visual differentiation points from the conventional model are few; a bit of bespoke badgework, an extra filler flap for the charging socket and that's about it. Otherwise, this variant is like any other upper-spec MK5 model RAV4, which means that it's styled with a tad more character than previous generation versions of this car. Piercing narrow full-LED headlamps above the polygon-shaped front grille deliver a bit of overtaking presence. And in profile, you notice the Jeep-like squared-off wheel arches and the adoption of larger wheels that here can be up to 19-inches in size.

Inside, it's also standard RAV4 fare, though this Plug-in version is the first derivative in the range to add in two features that'll be rolled out to conventional variants - a colour Head-up display and 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring, the latter featuring on an 8-inch centre dash screen. The instrument binnacle features Toyota's usual Hybrid system indicator on the left - with its normal 'Charge', 'ECO' and 'Power' sections.

There are some boot area compromises with the plug-in tech though, cargo capacity falling from the usual 580-litre figure to 520-litres here.

Market and Model

There are two variants on offer, starting with the 'Dynamic'-trimmed model priced at just over £47,000. The RAV4 Plug-in 'Dynamic' offers 19-inch machined-face alloy wheels, a nine-inch multimedia touchscreen, access to connected services, heated front and rear seats and LED projector headlights. To support its EV capability, it will come with a 6.6kW (32A) cable for fast charging (wall box system required). The 'Dynamic Premium' version adds features including black leather upholstery, front seats with ventilation and memory settings, a panoramic roof, a head-up display and a JBL Premium Sound System.

There's also plenty of camera safety kit, including a pre-collision set-up with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beam, road sign assist and automatic adaptive cruise control. Other advanced safety features include a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert for safe manoeuvring. Plus an E-Call service that can automatically alert the emergency services to the vehicle's location in the event of an accident - triggered when the airbags are deployed.

Cost of Ownership

Toyota wanted to improve on the class standard with this RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and, sure enough, its WLTP-quoted CO2 emission figure of 22g/km is fractionally better than most of its competitors, which of course will mean an attractively low BiK taxation figure (6%). Like most rivals, the brand also quotes a 3-figure combined cycle fuel consumption reading (282.5mpg) but as usual in plug-in territory, this isn't ever likely to be replicated by the average owner.

Charging takes around two and a half hours using a 230V/32A connection. The charging process can now be programmed for a week on a day-to-day basis, including the facility to simultaneously charge the battery and pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin. What else? Well, the five year 100,000 mile warranty is extremely good and even after that runs out, You'll find that most spares are relatively inexpensive. There's also three years warranty against rust and 12 years of anti-corrosion protection.

Summary

We don't really understand why plug-in tech wasn't included with the fifth generation RAV4 range from the outset. It's important for a car in this class to offer this option these days, though as a buyer of this Toyota SUV, we'd recommend that you think long and hard over whether you actually really need it. In a couple of decades time, the plug-in hybrid phase will have passed us by, but right here and now, its advantages are considerable, if you can afford the cost of the technology.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

PRICE: £40,000 [est] - on the road

CATEGORY: PLUG-IN HYBRID - COMPACT

WLTP ELECTRIC DRIVING RANGE: 37 miles

INSURANCE GROUPS: TBC

CO2 EMISSIONS: 29g/km [WLTP]

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph 6.2s / Max Speed 112mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: TBC

BOOT CAPACITY: [litres] 520

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4600/1855/1685 mm