SA Road Tests

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RAV-olutionary: 2019 Toyota RAV4 2.0 GX-R CVT awd

Changes

Posted: August 3, 2019

The numbers
Price: R516 100
Engine: 1987 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power: 127 kW at 6600 rpm
Torque: 203 Nm between 4400 and 4800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 10.4 seconds
Maximum speed: 180 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.4 l/100 km
Tank: 55 litres
Luggage: 547 – 1735 litres
Ground clearance: 195 mm
Maximum towing capacity (braked): 1000 kg
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: Six services / 90 000 km, at annual or 15 000 km intervals


Toyota and luxury sister brand Lexus have been changing things lately. Like this:
•    First, there’s Toyota New Global Architecture, TNGA, that enables stiffer and lighter bodies with lower centres of gravity,

•    Second is double wishbone rear suspension that has gravitated down at least as far as Corolla. All you need to be concerned with is that this, together with the lowered centres of gravity, transforms handling,

•    Third concerns new-era 2.0- and 2.5-litre petrol engines placed, inter-alia, in Lexus and RAV4. They are more efficient than older versions,

•    Fourth is two kinds of all-wheel drive. One, a bit of a “cheat,” consists of individual electric motors driving the rear wheels of certain hybrid models. The second is mechanical and uses torque vectoring to enable more efficient power transfer between the rear wheels. In plain English, it uses clutches to apportion power rather than wearing out brake pads while the car’s ESP system does the “thinking.” You can watch how power shifts from front to rear and from side to side, via a selectable graphic in the instrument display.

•    Fifth concerns two approaches to Constant Velocity Transmission, or CVT. One utilises traditional cones-and-belt with ten programmed steps but adds a torque converter and mechanical first gear to enable cleaner getaways. The other is a new-era, seven-step CVT using planetary gears (cogs within cogs). This type found a home in the Lexus UX250 hybrid - where it works as intended. 

Our test vehicle was powered by the 2.0-litre M20-A FKS engine with dual (port and direct) fuel injection and two kinds of VVT-i to control its valves. All-wheel Drive was by means of the new torque-vectoring unit while the CVT consisted of cones-and-belt with mechanical first gear.

New RAV4’s wheelbase is 30 mm longer than previously but its overall length shrank by 5 mm because Toyota cut front and rear overhangs by a total of 35 mm. That results in slightly improved off-road ability while increasing living- and loading space inside. It also spread 10 mm wider but lost 10 mm in overall height. Toyota worked on the electric power steering too, with the motor shifted from the steering column to the rack for better response.

GX-R specification slots between the familiar GX and VX models by gaining power-adjustable leather seats with lumbar support, seat heaters and ventilators in front; leather steering wheel and trim; smart entry; auto-dimming interior mirror; rain-sensing wipers; wireless charging and climate control. Its alloy wheels sport 255/60R18 Bridgestone Alenza (city) tyres. Special appearance items comprise an enlarged upper front grille with broad horizontal slats; a larger, more prominent skid-plate and chunky black over-fenders.

These are in addition to GX’s roof rails, LED headlights, push-button start, seven-inch display audio and multi-information display, Cruise Control, Reverse Camera and rear Park Distance Control.

VX adds Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Control, Blind-Spot Monitor and Pre-Crash System. But if you still want awd you have to find R70 400 more for the 2.5-litre engine with conventional eight-speed automatic.

What I liked about the GX-R was its spaciousness with lots of head- and knee space for backseat passengers; its generous loading area that swallowed a folding table, packed gazebo and market wares with seatbacks up, or a 29” bike with both wheels on when they’re folded; full-size spare wheel; overall fuel economy; its manoeuvrability with comfortable, 11,0-metre turning circle; comprehensive safety kit; build quality; general user-friendliness and the way it shrugged off our local Tenderfoot Trail.

If you watch the video on awd systems, our trail is similar to, but slightly rougher than, the stoney hill shown there.

What I did not fancy was the CVT. It’s fine as long as you drive gently with an eye on fuel economy but can you guarantee that there will never be moments when you need to accelerate urgently, for whatever reason? That’s when all the old complaints, about slipping and whining, resurface.

My advice would be to spring for a 2.5 VX with “plain” automatic or hope Toyota decides one day to supply all 2.0-litre RAV4s with the much better planetary geared CVT or with manual transmission.

Test unit from Toyota SA press fleet

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

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