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Feann Torr29 May 2013
REVIEW

Toyota RAV4 Diesel 2013: Road Test

New Toyota RAV4 changes the recipe, and it tastes better than ever

Toyota RAV4 GXL Diesel?
Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $38,990?
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
?Crash rating: Five-star ANCAP?
Fuel Diesel ?Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.6
?CO2 emissions (g/km): 149
?Also consider: Mazda CX-5 (from $27,880), Ford Kuga (from $27,990), Subaru Forester (from $30,990), Holden Captiva (from $27,990)

The new Toyota RAV4 marks a big departure for the well-known SUV. Most obviously it shows off a sharp new style, but it's now a more confident vehicle to drive thanks to improved steering and handling.

This fourth-generation SUV is also a bit cheaper, and for the first time Toyota is offering a diesel model, which is what we're testing here -- the mid-grade GXL six-speed manual.

Priced at $38,990 it represents decent value for money, and after a week behind the wheel I was somewhat surprised with how it performed.

Instead of a wallowy wagon mired in conservative thinking, the new RAV4 takes a fresh approach. It's not bad to drive, has some clever packaging features and an angular design motif not unlike the similarly improved Corolla.

Even though the RAV4 has shrunk in length and width, the interior of the car is roomier now, and has better storage solutions than its predecessor with heaps of incidental storage cubbies. Some of the standouts were the twin central cup holders, one mid-sized, one extra large to fit a bottle or flask, and a dedicated mobile phone holder (with grippy rubber mat) which was much appreciated.

Cargo capacity has grown, now offering a copious 577 litres with a space-saver spare wheel. If you want a full-sized spare wheel cargo space falls to 506 litres. A large tailgate hinges from the roof to make loading and unloading easy. The flat folding 60:40 split rear seats are really cool, taking a leaf from Honda's 'Magic Seats' trick book. Just flick a latch and you're done.

It must be said that the dashboard design is intense, but I liked that about it. It's not the 'same old' interior design and is measurably different to its rivals'. The dashboard's illusion of raised height makes for a spacious feel. Stitched ‘pleather’ trim on dash was interesting, as was the blue hue for instrument backlighting at night.

Steering wheel controls were big, bold and easy to use, likewise Bluetooth pairing of my iPhone5. All in-car functions worked well, and standard features on this model were plentiful. Comfortable cloth-trimmed sports seats, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers, reversing camera, roof rails, a cargo net, plus 17-inch alloy wheels and front fog lights to name but a few.

In operation, the Toyota RAV4 is a polished performer. The steering is light but direct and makes the car feel a lot smaller than it is. If you're looking for an amicable, 'car-like' feel in an SUV, the RAV4 won't disappoint; and when combined with reverse parking sensors it's also easy car to park.

And that's the general theme with this car: easygoing.

It has a composed ride that is firmer than the previous model and delivers good handling dynamics as a result. Simply put, the new RAV feels safer and more confident, especially in corners.

Toyota has updated the RAV4's all-wheel drive setup, but without any gravel or off-road driving it was difficult to say if it's an improvement [Ed: stay tuned for our upcoming comparison for more on this]. For what it's worth, the car did feel more planted in corners than the previous model. That's because the new all-paw system doesn't just intervene when the wheels break traction, but monitors the steering, throttle and road speed to determine where to shuffle torque.

Ride quality is not as supple as its predecessor, which may not be to some RAV4 owner's likings, but it's by no means an uncomfortable mode of transport. I will say this though -- the standard-fit Yokohama Geolander G91 tyres are squealers. We noticed tyre wail when navigating roundabouts and especially on smooth concrete of underground car parks, screeching like a frustrated child who's just had her caramel cupcake rescinded. Thankfully tyres can be changed relatively easily.

This particular model was hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox, which was a good operator in all but the worst stop-start traffic (mainly due to operator laziness). The car was happy trundling along at low revs or overtaking slower vehicles at higher speeds thanks to a punchy mid-range.

Claimed fuel economy is 5.6L/100km and after 450 kilometres split between a short daily commute (20 per cent) and highway driving (80 per cent), the final fuel consumption figure was 6.2L/100km. I actually expected it to be lower considering the majority of open road cruising.

The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine bangs out 110kW/340Nm, which isn't class leading, but it's more than enough pepper to ably accelerate the RAV4's 1660kg mass. It's not as spritely as the Mazda CX-5 SKYACTIV-D, for instance, nor as quiet, but from around 1600rpm the turbo huffs strongly and gives the RAV4 a good burst of speed.

If you don't want to shift manually, an auto transmission can be had for $2500, but if you plan on towing, make sure to check how heavy your load is because even manual gearbox-equipped diesel RAV4s are only rated to haul 550kg, which is well below average for a diesel SUV.

The RAV4's brakes provided strong stopping power but were touchy at slow speeds, jerking to a stop abruptly at times.

There's a lot to like about Toyota's new diesel-powered RAV4. It's relatively frugal, drives well and makes good use of its interior space -- and has a more sophisticated feel in general. Granted, it's not as involving as the Mazda CX-5, but the Toyota has taken a significant step forward. There's a lot of appealing factors here, even if you don't like the new look.

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