Toyota RAV4 Hybrid review: Why this is more of an engineering masterpiece than an EV

DO YOU ever get tired of being the responsible one in the family, the unsung sap who keeps track of everyone’s birthdays, allergies and flight numbers?

Meanwhile, one sibling is holding their third wedding and another has merrily bought a timeshare in Bintan. If that’s you, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is your automotive soulmate.

This sport utility vehicle is pragmatism personified and, some would argue, wilfulness on wheels. While the Chinese picked up the electric vehicle baton, ran with it and beat the old guard over the head with it, Toyota clung to the idea that hybrids are what the world actually needs.

The real question is whether the new RAV4 is the kind of car the world (or at least, Singapore) actually wants.

Along with a new face that adopts the current Toyota family’s hammerhead motif, this sixth-generation model runs on a modified, stiffened chassis carried over from its predecessor.

Worldwide, it’s now hybrid-only, and in Singapore the powertrain pairs a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine with a 134-horsepower electric motor.

Hybrids are meant to save fuel, and this one is good at it. Most drivers here would top up their RAV4 every two weeks with plenty left in the tank, since the claimed consumption figure is 5.1 litres per 100 km. I managed to use roughly 8 per cent less than even that.

That’s not exactly the kind of achievement to brag about at parties if you don’t want to go home alone, but it’s the sort of thing Toyota hopes will make a case for the RAV4.

So is the interior, where the controls are laid out logically and the main touchscreen, measuring 10.5 inches diagonally, doesn’t offer you all that much to touch. Consequently, it is as easy to use as a Chinese EV’s is often difficult.

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The entertainment system may not have native apps such as Spotify, but wireless pairing lets your phone do the job of keeping boredom away, the way it does everywhere else in your life now.

The one feature I missed is a 360-degree parking camera, which is not only useful, but also something that much cheaper cars now have.

It’s an inexplicable omission from a car that is otherwise so pleasant to live with. It may not have a glass roof, but the cabin feels roomy and bright, while the rear seats offer plenty of room for today’s lanky teens.

The boot is textbook stuff: roomy, comes with handy hooks and loops, and has a niche for the luggage cover. There’s even a full-size spare tyre in there.

It’s a comfortable car to drive, too. I emerged from a three-hour stretch behind the wheel feeling as untaxed and unruffled as if I’d just stepped out of a lift.

In fact, there’s no faulting the chassis. The roadholding is solid, the body stays composed over badly surfaced roads, and the steering even offers a bit of feedback to go with its responsiveness.

In contrast, the engine has no charisma whatsoever, and revving it hard usually makes you wish you hadn’t. But while the RAV4’s drivetrain isn’t charming, it’s impressive. Although an EV is really just a battery, a motor (or motors) and plenty of software, a hybrid is much harder to do well.

The engine has to cut in and out repeatedly, and the brakes must juggle regenerative and friction braking – and the better the engineers did their job, the less you notice. By that measure, the RAV4 is more of an engineering masterpiece than a typical EV.

For the price, though, it’s easy to see the appeal of saving yourself a chunk of cash and opting for, say, a Tesla Model Y. Like many EVs, it feels new and exciting compared to the Toyota.

Show me a RAV4 driver, though, and I will show you a responsible person who has their life together.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Premium Engine 2,487 cc, 16V, in-line four Engine power 185 hp at 6,000 rpm Engine torque 221 Nm at 5,200 rpm Motor power 134 hp Motor torque 208 Nm System power 215 hp Gearbox Continuously Variable Transmission Top speed 180 kmh 0-100 kmh 8 seconds  Fuel efficiency 5.1 l/100 km Price S$254,888 with COE Agent Borneo Motors Available Now