Toyota RAV4 GRANITE SPECIAL EDITION RANGE
Toyota Tell Us Their RAV4 Granite Is Tough But How Many Owners Will Be Willing To Put It To The Test? The Alloy Wheels Might Get Scuffed. Steve Walker Finds Out
When we visit our local car dealership and put a deposit down on a 4x4, what are we actually buying? The manufacturers tell us that these vehicles are as at home out in the wilds up to their axles in slime as they are on a routine trip to Tesco but most buyers, especially in the compact 4x4 sector where Toyotas RAV4 competes, will never find out. Toyota can play-up the RAV4s offroad prowess with near impunity, safe in the knowledge that very few of them will ever leave the blacktop.
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Models like the Granite special edition are even more of a safe bet. Its so loaded down with equipment and styling accessories that owners taking it onto anything more unstable than a gravel driveway might have genuine concerns about it sinking without a trace. No,
Toyota are free to wheel out the rock-solid, rugged, impermeable, stand the test of time terminology in promoting the Granite because the overwhelming majority of these show pony soft-roaders will never turn a wheel on anything that boarders on the really rocky. Having said that, the RAV4 Granite will actually do a lot more than you might imagine offroad, the independent suspension and permanent 4x4 transmission combining to surefooted effect, but thats beside the point.
What most buyers will be more interested in is how it looks, how it performs on road and what you get for the money. So here goes. Toyota have laid it on pretty thick in the RAV4 Granite special editions case. The car is based on the basic XT3 trim level but by the time all the extras have been accounted for, its only really full leather trim and climate control shy of the XT4.
The cars appearance will be a strong draw for people who like their vehicles more omnipotent than ordinary. The wheels are large 17" alloys, each with nine spokes fanning outwards and Pirelli tyres. Compared to the standard RAV4 wheels, these ones look great. They are bigger and bolder but too many close scrapes involving rouge boulders would soon tarnish that flawless finish so best stick to the tarmac. Chrome light protectors and sidebars increase the sparkle levels, as does a big square Granite badge on the tailgate.
This marks the Granite out as a special RAV4 and consists of a chrome square split diagonally by a jagged black fissure motif.
"The RAV4 Granite is very much a 4x4 for looking good about town"
Climb into the RAV4 Granite and there are carpet mats and aluminium scuff plates that normal RAV4s do not benefit from but the only bit of actual equipment included in addition to the XT3 is the six-disc CD autochanger. Dont let this put you off, though, because the XT3 is no hermits cave. Safety provision is very good with twin front and curtain airbags, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution. All the windows are electric as is the air-conditioning and the front foglamps.
Toyota arent known for the refinement of their interiors: they tend to be efficient, simple and well constructed but not particularly stylish. The RAV4 Granite conforms to this pattern with big buttons and chunky switches making it easy to locate and activate the function you want. The 3 and 5-door bodystyles are both offered in Granite special edition form. The 5-door is 395mm longer than the 3, so its the choice for people who plan on using the rear
seat accommodation on a more than occasional basis to seat non-children.
The other key area of choice is colour and there are three shades available. Originally, Granite buyers could only choose between three colours (Cadmium Green, Argenta Silver and Astral Black) but now Toyota have thoughtfully opened up their entire RAV4 colour palate for buyers of this variant. Whichever hue is for you, youll pay from £17,750 for the 3-door 2.0-litre VVT-I petrol model or from £18,250 for the equivalent three-door 2.
0-litre D4-D diesel. Add £1,500 to those prices if you want the five-door version. If youre choosing the petrol model, theres also the option of automatic transmission for an extra £1,000. Toyotas variable valve timing engine technology (VVT-i) makes for engines that have a decent amount of torque low in the rev range but need to be extended in order for the full hit of power to be accessed.
With the 2.0-litre VVT-i engine in the RAV4 Granite, theres 192Nm of torque at 4,000rpm which makes for relaxed stop/start progress around town and provides enough grunt to tackle moderate offroad obstacles. To extract the maximum performance figures of 10.6s for the 0-60mph sprint and 114mph top speed, gears need to be held longer as maximum power of 150PS arrives at 6,000rpm.
The engines high-revving characteristics mean you can drive in a sedate manner for improved fuel economy or put the hammer down and enjoy the performance. An average of 33mpg is possible if youre reasonably prudent with the right pedal. This isnt bad considering the comparatively strong performance and the less than ideal aerodynamics produced by the slab-fronted 4x4 shape. Large 4x4s with real offroad prowess tend to ride and corner like the QE2 on choppy seas but the bouncy suspension and high riding chassis enable them to cope with the big knocks that offroad vehicles are required to take.
The RAV4 is much smaller and nimbler on the road with ride and handling amongst the most car-like in the compact 4x4 sector. Body roll in the bends has been successfully curbed and on the flat you shouldnt be reaching for the travel sickness pills. The RAV4 Granite is very much a 4x4 for looking good about town. It can do a tidy job on a muddy track and even traverse the odd rocky outcrop but would you really want to get its lovely shinny bits dirty? From a value for money standpoint, it looks fairly impressive.
An equivalent XT3 model is £500 cheaper but the Granite has loads of extras in addition to this model and an XT4 is £2,000 more expensive - although it does have leather trim. The Granite is an eye-catching alternative to these everyday RAV4 models.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota RAV4 Granite special edition range
PRICES: £17,750-£20,250 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: [2.0 VVT-I] 218g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0 VVT-I 3dr] 0-60mph 10.6s / Max Speed 112mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 VVT-I 3dr] (combined) 32.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin font, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] (length/width/height) 4265/1785/1715mm
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