Toyota RAV4 D4-D 150 : BIGGER AND CLEVERER

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Toyota Are Relying On The D4-D 150 Engine To Be The Volume Seller In Their Latest RAV4 Line Up. With Good Reason Too, As Andy Enright Reports

The Toyota RAV4 is an extremely easy car to take for granted. To many, it's the template for compact, road-biased 4x4s. It's inoffensive, well built and generally ubiquitous. Toyota, however, have loftier aspirations for this model and recent sales point to the fact that these expectations are based on a solid grounding rather than pie in the sky targets. The variant that will be responsible for the lion's share of this sales growth is the RAV4 D4-D diesel 150, a car that extends the RAV4's skill set way beyond any previous model.

I must admit to a feeling that Toyota had rather overextended themselves with this third generation RAV4. Somewhat predictably, it had grown bigger and gone further upmarket, the word `premium' being a constant mantra at the launch press conference. This is usually manufacturer shorthand for the fact that they're tacitly acknowledging that their product is a little on the expensive side. This is no longer the cheap and cheerful car that Toyota first brought to these shores in 1994 but examine the specification sheets and you'll find advanced technology that goes at least someway towards justifying the cost. Although a fair slug of sales will go to the 2.0-litre petrol engine, it's this 148bhp common-rail diesel that Toyota predict will account for the majority of UK sales and it's a useful powerplant. Although you're never going to forget it's a diesel you're driving, the engine pulls well from low revs and has an acceptable amount of punch in the midrange.

"The 148bhp engine pulls well from low revs and offers a big helping of torque"

It's a high-tech unit, of all aluminium construction with a 2.2-litre displacement. The light weight helps keep the front end of the RAV4 agile and also assists in Toyota's goals of low emissions and decent fuel economy for this model. Acceleration is punchy thanks to the 340Nm of torque that's available and Toyota's Optimal Drive technology should help keep costs down. Drive less manically and you should average around 48.7mpg. Two gearbox options are available, a standard six-speed manual that is reasonably direct in its operation and a six-speed automatic which has a selectable Sport mode and can be specified with wheel-mounted paddle shifters. When specified with the auto `box the engine is fitted with Toyota's D-CAT catalytic converter to keep emissions in check. One area where the RAV4 excels is in safety provision with no fewer than nine airbags as standard, including, for the first time in this segment, a driver's knee airbag. The Interactive Drive System is a really smart piece of technology, marrying the intelligent four-wheel drive system to the VSC+ stability control and the EPS electric power steering. General equipment levels are very generous. There's dual-zone climate control, a Bluetooth phone system, automatic wipers and headlights, a six CD autochanger, 17" alloy wheels and heated door mirrors that retract at the touch of a button. Buyers of the 2.2 D-4D engine also get leather upholstery, keyless entry and start, heated front seats and electric adjustment for the driver's seat. Step up to the range-topping SR model and various styling enhancements are added, features like privacy glass, extended wheelarches and 18" alloy wheels. A neat reversing camera with a screen in the rear-view mirror also makes an appearance. The RAV4 is priced at the upper end of the compact 4x4 segment but the generous equipment quota along with the advanced engines and gearboxes should ensure value for money. Across each successive iteration, the RAV4 has got bigger and better equipped. This third generation model represented the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky was replaced with bold and aggressive. The new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious than RAV4s past. The latest facelifted cars tweak the front-end styling with changes to the bumper, grille and headlight design. There are also indicators integrated into the door mirrors and a redesigned taillight cluster treatment at the rear. The RAV4 remains at the more practical and family-orientated end of the compact 4x4 market. What it lacks in funky, urban styling it makes up for in capacity and user-friendliness. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4's load capacity is as big as it is and it also helps that the middle row of seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There's none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor. The latest RAV4 is a key model for Toyota in a rapidly expanding market. They needed something special to fend off a bunch of rival entrants and this D4-D 150 model should do the business for them. It's not cheap but if you can get used to the fact that this car's market positioning has changed, you'll appreciate it for what it is: a very accomplished performer.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Toyota RAV4 D4-D 150
PRICES: £22,795 -£25,295 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 11E - 12E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 154g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.8s / Max Speed 119mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 48.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls [est]
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4395/1815/1720 (w/roof rails)