[toggle title_open=”Car specification” title_closed=”Car specification” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Price: $62,790
Engine: 2.2 litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, 110kW/340Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 6.5 litres/100km
Emissions: 172g/km (Euro5)
Equipment: Sunroof, reversing camera, smart key, rain sensing wipers, leather
Safety: Five-star Euro and ANCAP crash rating
Factory warranty: Three-year/100,000km[/toggle]
How many RAV4 sales has Toyota lost by not having had more than a token diesel in the range, and a manual at that? You’d have to think that companies like Hyundai and Kia would be quite happy if Toyota never broadened its compact SUV’s diesel offerings. But now it has; the 2.2 litre unit we met in the last model is now available across all-wheel-drive versions and the six-speed manual has been swapped-out for a good six-speed automatic with Sport mode and the option of sequential shifting. Despite costing two grand more than the equivalent petrol, diesel power brings signifiant advantages to an already competent crossover. Although losing 22kW of power it gains a decent 110Nm of torque. CO2 emissions are down by 26g/km and fuel economy drops by two litres per 100km overall, to 6.5. But wait, there’s more; the engine is one of the smoother, quieter small diesels, betraying its configuration only briefly during cold starting. Overtaking times are short, especially with the Sport mode selected, and the engine always seems to be wanting to give more. Automotive News NZ tried the diesel in the top “it’s got everything” Limited model and the engine is as at-home there as in the base GX. We wonder why Limited buyers still have a strong preference for the petrol engine? Oh, and for those wondering about the effect of the widened diesel range on the sales piechart, so far just 12 per cent are diesel; the mid-spec GXL is most popular, followed by the GX and Limited. Twelve per cent? We’d have thought it would be way higher. It should be.
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Likely Owners
Those who like to talk up the advantages of torque
Good features
The torque and the excellent engine that delivers it
Not so good
Interior colours, styling not for everyone
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[box type=”tick” size=”large” style=”rounded”]Rating 8.5/10[/box]