Late last year Toyota South Africa introduced a three-door two-wheel-drive version of the 1,8 litre RAV4 to bring the price lower for those who’d never venture off-road anyway. They also upgraded the specifications and dropped the price of the other RAV4 models to bring the entire range below the R300 000 mark. The marketing guys seems to have got it right, because sales in the four months after the facelift dealers sold 338 RAV4s, compared with 82 in the preceding four months.
The car recently sent to us for evaluation was the R274 395 three-door 4X4 powered by a four-cylinder two litre engine. Apart from the styling changes, which include a larger cooling intake, revised headlamp clusters and new lines for the bumper, grille and bonnet areas, the RAV4 gained additional sound and vibration dampers, and the benefits are instantly noticeable. The doors close with a solid “thunk” and the interior looks and feels solidly put together – almost Lexus like, in fact. There are twin airbags and ABS to keep things safe, and an annoying buzzer that reminds you when you’ve left your seatbelt undone. The Toyotas also gained new suspension, revised steering and a quieter interior fan.
As with the earlier model the car boasts two extra powerpoints for accessories, an air conditioner, a four-speaker radio/CD player with steering-wheel mounted remote control, central locking, electric windows and side mirrors, front and rear foglamps, and a towbar wiring point.
Accommodation is pretty zooty, with sensibly situated classy looking controls, and the high-up driving position gives you that familiar 4X4 feeling of invincibility. There’s more room in the back seats than a glance would have you believe, but those who habitually carry more than two people would be advised to look to a four-door model for ease of use. Luggage space is generous enough for a couple of small bags and that’s about it.
The latest version of the four-cylinder engine fitted to the two-litre RAV4 boasts an extra 8 kilowatts when compared to its predecessor, with 110 kW at 6 000, but the power now peaks at 6 000 rpm compared with the 5 600 peak of the earlier version. Torque has increased from 190 Nm at 4 000 rpm to 192 Nm at the same revs. Driven back-to-back there might be some seat-of-the-pants indication of the improvements in the new model, but to us the difference was not enough to make much of an impression after all the months that have passed since we drove the older version. The car we had for evaluation was a lively performer, with a top speed of just over 180 km/hr and a 0-100 time of a fraction over ten seconds. What was rather disconcerting was the way the engine took a second or two to drop its revs when the throttle pedal was released between gear changes. We don’t remember earlier examples doing this, so perhaps it was just a foible of the test car.
Handling was very good considering the big wheels, high profile tyres and high stance of the vehicle. We didn’t take this example off-road, but know that its approach and departure angles, generous ground clearance and permanent four-wheel-drive mean that it can handle low-intensity off-road use with aplomb. If the factory only saw fit to introduce a version with a low-range transfer box they’d probably surprise the hell out of many in the Land Rover brigade.
The Toyota RAV4 three door is a perfect little runabout for its target market – young men and women without kids who want the 4X4 image and the quality it offers. It’s well built and it’s perky, and its well equipped with comfort and safety features. And, being a Toyota, it comes with a huge bonus in terms of peace-of-mind that means buyers are unlikely to end up with a sour taste in their mouths when they try to sell it at some distant date. Recommended.