First Drive: Toyota Rav4

The new Toyota Rav4 is larger, wider and lower than its predecessor

Toyota believes the all-new Toyota Rav4 is the ‘best value car’ it has launched in some time.

The new compact SUV is now available at a starting price of €27,995 – €5,000 less than the outgoing model.

Rav4 stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4 Wheel-Drive and Toyota says the original compact SUV has evolved since its 1994 launch to meet the current needs of ‘active lifestyle families with a growing demand for space and versatility’.

With that in mind, the new Toyota Rav4 boasts bigger cargo and cabin space. Toyota says both two-wheel and four-wheel drive technology has been improved and this means the new Rav4 is cheaper to run.

A range of petrol and diesel engines are available with either manual or automatic transmission.

The diesel engines are expected to be the most popular, with the 2.0litre D-4D 124bhp front wheel drive variant the most fuel efficient engine. Fitted with Stop & Start technology it has annual road tax of €270.

The cabin in the Toyota Rav4 is quite minimalist, but luxurious

Three trim levels are available in the new Toyota Rav4 – Aura, Luna and Sol.

Air conditioning, Bluetooth, USB port, tyre pressure warning and hill start assist are standard on the Aura.

Meanwhile, move up to the Luna grade and you also get dual control air conditioning, sports seats, Toyota Touch multimedia system with reversing camera, and cruise control.

The Sol trim adds heated front seats, rear parking sensors and full leather upholstery.

We got to take the 2.0 D-4D two wheel drive Luna model for a quick spin at its Irish launch in a wet and blustery Dublin this afternoon. Our first impressions are that this is an impressive compact-SUV.

This car feels lovely to drive, from the moment you sit into it. The driving position is perfect. It was extremely confident on the road, gear changes were seamless and acceleration was good. I also found the cabin to be quite quiet.

Interior styling is minimalist but luxurious and I liked the soft touch leather-like dash. The cabin and the boot are very spacious and I was particularly impressed with the rear leg room. I’m really looking forward to a longer test drive in this car.

Speaking at the Irish launch, Toyota Ireland managing director David Shannon said he believes Toyota has ‘something special’ with the Rav4 and he is quite confident it will prove popular among Irish motorists.

The new Toyota Rav4 is available now with prices starting from €27,995 for the 2.0 D-4D 125 Aura 2WD.

Visit the Toyota Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.