The standard equipment provided is impressive, but it doesn’t appeal as much as the upper-class competitors. Four powertrain operating modes are available, which might look messy, but they work great on the road. The RAV4 has a claimed electric range of 43-mile and its engine can develop a power of 294bhp.
This SUV from Toyota and other similar Plug-in hybrids are somewhat special for several reasons. They can run on electric mode, though for a short time, and they are safer, and they are an important step between reaching from petrol power to a bonafide EV. But, some SUVs only provide an opportunity to cut your company car tax obligations and nothing else, and that can change too by just single legislation, and the car would lose the main positioning. However, you can have a different opinion for such vehicles, but one thing is for use, this RAV4 PHEV is a very impressive vehicle. If you keep reading, you will understand why we think so, and why it’s one of the best examples in this segment.
It’s not so different from the standard RAV4 Hybrid, in mechanical terms. The SUV uses a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder petrol engine that works with the electric motor. There’s another, smaller electric motor, at the rear, which provides the all-wheel-drive capability. The system is based on the TGA-K architecture, not surprising though. As the petrol engine is now powerful, developing 176bhp instead of 171bhp, and the electric motor is more powerful too, producing 167bhp instead of 116bhp in the regular version. The output by the rear motor is the same, 52bhp. The system develops a combined power of 301bhp, which makes the SUV the most powerful model in the range. It has a capacity of 18.1kWh, which is very good.
So, it’s pretty good so far, right? It’s also more expensive than the new Suzuki Across, which is quite similar to it. Overall, it’s a good vehicle, and if you are looking for a vehicle from this segment, you should consider this.