NEW RAV4 LINE OFFERS TOYOTA’S EIGHT HYBRID

4x4magazine | 10/11/2015 | 0 Comments

Toyota can proudly point to the first RAV4 as the pioneering model two decades ago. What began as a niche exploded into a category, with the RAV4 remaining one of its leaders. That leadership shows once again for 2016 with the introduction of the first RAV4 Hybrid.

The 2016 RAV4 Hybrid brings the number of Toyota hybrid models to eight (plus six more in the Lexus luxury division). The fuel economy estimates are expected to be high, as Toyota anticipates to receive EPA ratings of 34 mpg city / 31 mpg highway / 33 mpg combined for both 2016 RAV4 Hybrid models.

Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive has long been the platinum standard for seamless hybrid performance, high efficiency and exemplary dependability. Drivers love the way it works, because they cannot feel it working, and that’s the point. The 2016 RAV4 Hybrid combines output from a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and a small high-torque electric motor through its unique transaxle. The RAV4 Hybrid delivers a jolt of performance from a combined 194 system horsepower. The system varies power between the gas engine and electric motor, or combines both as needed, all seamlessly. Regenerative braking changes the electric motor to a generator that captures the kinetic energy of the still-turning wheels when the brake is applied, storing it in the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) hybrid battery pack.

The all-weather capability is there, too, as the Hybrid comes equipped with an Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel-Drive System with intelligence (AWD-i) as standard. A second, independent electric motor drives the rear wheels when needed to help maintain optimal traction.

The 2016 RAV4 debuts new technologies to bolster convenience, entertainment and information. Smart Key and a Homelink garage door opener add convenience and security. Available front and rear parking sonar helps make parking easy and safe, and now the RAV4 offers the ultimate technology for that purpose, a new Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan. This Toyota-first technology employs four cameras that are mounted on the front, the side mirrors and rear of the vehicle to project a panoramic view of the vehicle’s surroundings on the central seven-inch touch display. The system offers drivers assistance when parallel parking, and when pulling in and out of parking spaces. The Bird’s Eye View Monitor system also debuts a Toyota-first feature called Perimeter Scan, which provides a live rotating 360-degree view around the vehicle, helping the driver to see potential obstacles.