Toyota RAV4 to get hybrid power from mid-January

Toyota’s RAV4 will be available as a hybrid for the first time, priced from £26,195 OTR, as the fourth generation SUV gets a mid-life facelift.

CO2 and mpg figures for the RAV4 Hybrid won’t be confirmed until closer to its UK arrival mid-January, but fitting the SUV with a petrol-electric powertrain is expected to improve on the 127g/km and 57.6mpg available in the current most efficient RAV4 (2.0 D-4D Active).

The hybrid system is capable of all-wheel-drive and comprises a 2.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, one of which is mounted on the rear axle to provide four-wheel drive and up to 1,650kg towing weight.

We already have leasing deals for the hybrid RAV4, starting from under £200 a month for business users.

The 151bhp 2.0-litre Valvematic petrol unit has been revised for the refreshed model while the 124bhp 2.0-litre diesel remains unchanged. Both petrol and diesel models can come with front- or all-wheel-drive, and will be handed over from late December.

Featuring a revised front end, improved quality and a raft of new technology features, the refreshed RAV4 was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Trims

Equipment is split over five trims: Active, Business Edition, the newly introduced Business Edition Plus, Icon, and Excel, which replaces the previous Invincible range-topper and brings the RAV4 in line with the rest of Toyota’s range.

Entry level Active - available only as a diesel - comes on 17-inch alloys, with a touchscreen multimedia system backed by six-speaker and DAB radio. Standard kit also includes cruise control, leather steering wheel cover, air conditioning, rear privacy glass and electric door mirrors.

Business Edition – also diesel only – gets a sat-nav function, dual-zone auto air-con, front fog lamps, retractable door mirrors, automatic headlights and wipers, rear-view camera and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The new hybrid workings come into play in the new Business Edition Plus trim and includes LED front and rear lights, a power tailgate, keyless entry and push-button start.

Icon models ride on 18-inch machined-finish alloy wheels, and also get LED headlamps, combination leather and Alcantara upholstery, electrically adjustable driver’s seat (with power-adjustable lumbar support), heated front seats and an Alcantara dashboard finish. Icon customers can upgrade their Toyota Touch 2 system to ‘Go’ status with sat nav and connectivity functions.

Top spec Excel models adopt the full Toyota Touch 2 with Go package, plus leather upholstery, roof rails and front and rear parking sensors.

The new RAV4’s technological improvements will also include a 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor similar to the Around View Monitor found in Nissans. Using cameras located all around the car, it builds a picture of the area around the car and displays that on the infotainment screen, giving the driver a top-down view of the car and its immediate surroundings.

Two new exterior colours – Blue Crush, and Barcelona Red – have also been brought in for the refresh.

The RAV4 is be the seventh Toyota available as a hybrid, following the Yaris, Auris, Auris Touring Sports, Prius, Prius+, and Prius plug-in.

RAV4 trims, engines and pricing: