Next gen RAV4 revealed
The torquey 4-cylinder common rail diesel will be one of three engines available to local customers - two four-cylinder petrol engines being the other options. All three engines are claimed to offer impressive fuel economy and emissions performance.
The new 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine boasts a combined-cycle fuel economy below 6.0 litres/100km and CO2 emissions below 150g/km when mated to a manual transmission*. It has a strong, flat torque curve with more than 200Nm available from just above idle and a peak well in excess of 300Nm.
The two petrol four-cylinder engines are almost identical to those in the 133kW 2.5-litre Camry Altise and the 102kW 2.0-litre Corolla Ultima sedan. They incorporate Toyota's dual variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) for high performance, good fuel economy, low emissions and smooth, quiet operation.
All three engines are mated to six-speed manual transmissions as standard. The 2.2-litre diesel and 2.5-litre petrol engines can be specified with six-speed automatic transmissions while the 2.0-litre engine is available with Toyota's advanced MultiDrive Sport CVT with seven-speed sequential manual mode.
The world debut of the next gen RAV4 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show saw a notably redesigned vehicle that features a sophisticated, dynamic and strong exterior and a spacious, high-quality interior.
In a significant break with RAV4 heritage, the new RAV4 will place the spare tyre under the cargo floor, while the new tailgate is hinged at the roof.
Driver-oriented improvements include an advanced all-wheel drive system, better driving position, improved front and rear vision, and the safety of a more rigid body and seven airbags. Premium features on high-grade variants include a power-operated tailgate, blind-spot monitor, rain-sensing wipers and electro-chromatic rear-view mirror.
The latest RAV4 is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms during the first quarter of 2013. Local pricing and options will be announced closer to release date.
NOTE: Images are of overseas model