The Toyota Rav4 is a compact crossover SUV which has been manufactured by Toyota since 1994.
The name Rav4 stands for recreational activity vehicle four-wheel drive and was made for consumers wanting a vehicle that has the benefits of SUVs such as higher ground clearance and visibility, increased cargo room and four-wheel drive ability. It was also made to have the manoeuvrability and fuel economy of a compact car.
If you lived through the 90s, you will recall the flair and charm that came with the first Rav4. It was an awesome sight seeing a high-riding compact car – one with great charisma. It had such a profound impact, winning over female folk from all walks of life. I vividly recall that it was every girl’s dream car.
The Rav4 was the bridge between women and SUVs. Before the Rav4, it was a rare sight to see women in SUVs. When it came on the scene, it changed how women looked at cars. The Rav4 is the pioneer of the era of high riding compacts and deserves a lot more credit.
A few days ago, Top Revs had a chance to test drive the 2019 Rav4 in Windhoek and see where it stands in relation to its legend: Firstly, the Rav4 has evolved into a more unisex car and secondly, fits in and is a less bold statement of design. This evolution is justified in how consumer tastes have shifted in recent times, causing Toyota to build a larger unisex compact family car.
The 2019 Rav4 made its debut at the 2018 New York Auto Show with a prelude seen in 2017 at the Los Angeles Auto show in the FT-AC concept car. Built on Toyota’s new global architecture which it shares with the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES, the new Rav4 comes in short- and long-wheel base variants, with the short-wheel base sold in Japan and Europe while the long wheel base is sold in Africa, Australia and North America.
In Southern Africa, five derivatives are available: Our test 2,0 GX CVT 2WD, 2,0 GX 2WD, 2,0 GX-R CVT AWD, 2,5VX CVT 2WD and 2,5 VX AT AWD. The 2,0 GX 2WD is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. These derivatives fall into the trim levels of LE, XLE or XLE premium.
Designed by Tatsuya Sonoda, the 2019 Rav4 has an interesting vibe. It takes on features of its more American-oriented truck-like siblings – resembling Fords and Chevys in general appearance. A far cry from its predecessors, the new Rav4 is rather sleek and good-looking thanks to pointy lamps, a gaping mouth and long bonnet.
External design details include 17-inch alloy wheels with full size spare, plastic bottom and wheel casing guards (depicting serious affordability), parabola LED lights with auto levelling and daytime running lights, and LED tail lights.
On the interior of the Rav4, standard features include fabric upholstery, urethane steering wheel with mounted controls, a vinyl gear lever, manual AC, rear-view cam with distance control, and an easy to sync seven-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth capability and a USB port.
Our test Rav4 is driven by a 2,0 litre engine with an output of 127 kW and a torque of 203 Nm, allowing it to run from 0 to 100km/h in 10 seconds. It also has a fuel economy of 6,7 litres every 100km, which is kind on the purse or wallet.
Our test drive was thorough; we also got to experience the Rav4 in extreme off road conditions with the ‘Adventure 2,0 GX-R CVT AWD’ trim as well.
The Rav4 is a Toyota, meaning it carries the DNA of hard core off-roaders, and it’s a pioneer of a generation in off-roading. It basically has the capability and attitude for the rugged. It allowed us to tackle it with composure and ease – thanks to adjustable settings which include mud and sand, rock and dirt, and snow.
The Rav4 scores the five-star highest rank in safety assessment; this is thanks to Toyota’s collection of active safety features which are standard on every Rav4. Safety features include seven airbags, pre-collision warning system with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, road sign detection, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic braking, to name a few.
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