When it was unveiled as a concept car 20 years ago, the Toyota Rav4 really did make people sit up and take notice.
Toyota has revamped its popular Rav4
Needless to say the carmaker pushed the button for production and they had a hit on their hands, which meant that other small SUVs (or, as Toyota describes the Rav4, ‘a compact recreational SUV’) also came to market.
Toyota, however, kept on with their revamps and kept the Rav4 popular and the latest refresh will also help shift units in what is a keenly fought part of the market.
The Toyota Rav4 has been improved
To help things along, the entry price for the 2.0 D-4D 2WD Active model has been reduced by £400 and the range gets fresh options such as blind spot monitor and traffic alert. This 2.0 litre engine, which returns around 53mpg, is also available in all-wheel drive for the first time.
The firm’s impressive Touch 2 touchscreen multimedia system also makes its debut in the Rav4 and it has a new hi-res screen which uses four times as many pixels as the previous model. It also has a range of extra functions and extra connectivity, including the utilising of real-time traffic information which will warn of congestion ahead and calculate a suitable alternative route.
The Touch 2 system also reveals the speed limit for the road and has safety camera warnings. It’s also the first time that a satnav system displays, in real time, Google Street View so the driver knows where they should be.
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The Toyota Rav4 is also changing with the times and its impressive package also includes Bluetooth, so the driver can make hands-free phone calls as well as sending and receiving text messages. There’s also a rearview camera and climate control.
Like many carmakers, Toyota is offering a system that will call the emergency services should there be an accident.
There’s also a raft of new features with the best being added to the Invincible and Icon models and these include keyless entry, push-button start, new alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, cruise control, heated door mirrors and a DAB digital tuner.
The new Toyota Rav4 is on sale now and there’s no doubt that buyers of this excellent car will help support its success story and ensure it’s with us for several years yet.