New 2019 Toyota RAV4: UK prices, specs and release date revealed
Toyota's new RAV4 arrives in UK Toyota showrooms in April, with all-wheel-drive versions coming too
Toyota is now taking orders for the new fifth-generation RAV4 in Britain, and full prices and specifications for the new Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan have been revealed.
Priced from £29,635, first deliveries of the front-wheel-drive version of the car will take place from April 2019 year, with all-wheel-drive versions set to follow next May.
That starting price bags the car in entry-level Icon grade. Offered exclusively with a 215bhp 2.5-litre petrol self-charging hybrid powertrain driving the front wheels, standard equipment includes LED headights, an electronic parking brake, automatic headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors, powerfolding mirrors, an eight-inch Toyota Touch 2 infotainment sysem in the cabin linked to a rear view camera and seven-inch driver information display housed in the instrument panel. It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels as standard too.
Step up to Design trim, priced from £31,190, and keyless entry, an electronically closing tailgate and front parking sensors are added, as are 18-inch wheel. This model is also available with a 219bhp all-wheel-drive version of the 2.5-litre self-charging hybrid powertrain, priced from £2,240 more at £33,430.
Excel trim cars add to the equipment found on Design RAV4s with projector LED headlights, blint spot monitors, rear cross traffic alert, puddle lights, headlight cleaners and a windscreen wiper with a built-in de-icer. More changes are found in the cabin, with full leather upholstery, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Prices start from £33,610.
The RAV4 Dynamic sits alongside the Design car at the top of the line-up, featuring the same standard equipment and assistance features. It gets a sportier look with black five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, black interior headlining and bi-tone metallic paint. Prices start from £34,400.
The new RAV4 is taller and wider than the previous generation model, complete with a stockier redesign inspired by the FT-AC concept revealed at the 2017 Los Angeles Motor Show.
At 4,600mm in length it’s very slightly longer too, but 30mm has been added to the wheelbase, freeing up more room for passengers in the cabin. The front and rear overhangs have also been reduced, while Toyota claims a big leap in ride clearance.
Outside Britain, the RAV4 will be available with two TNGA powertrains - the 2.5-litre hybrid electric we get is joined by a new 2.0-litre petrol.
The 2.5-litre hybrid uses a brand new electric motor drive. The front-wheel-drive version of this new powertrain delivers 215bhp, while Toyota claims 103g/km CO2. The all-wheel-drive variant is a little more powerful, rated at 219bhp but with the same 103g/km CO2 figure. These emissions figures are Toyota's own though, and the new car has not been fully homologated under WLTP rules.
This will be the first RAV4 to be built using the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. Toyota says that the switch to the platform reduces the RAV4’s centre of gravity and gives a better weight distribution. TNGA is already is use on the Prius, CH-R and new Corolla.
Check out our round-up off all the news from the 2018 New York Motor Show...
