All-New RAV4 Makes Global Debut in New York

Toyota surprised the world with the reveal of the all-new Toyota RAV4 at the New York International Motor Show. The fifth-generation RAV4 evolves the design that we have become familiar on the crossover-SUV and continues to try and dominate the segment it helped establish more than 20 years ago.

The most important change on the new RAV4 is the platform that it’s built on. The new Toyota New Global Architecture or ‘TNGA’ platform allows the new model to benefit from a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks, resulting in a more poised stance on the road. The RAV4 is the second Toyota SUV to inherit the new platform, with the first being the Toyota C-HR.

Chassis rigidity has been improved by a claimed 57%, which should improve handling and driving dynamics, as well as lowered cabin noise and improved ride comfort.

The new Toyota RAV4 also features an all-new engine in the form of a 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder engine, available in both petrol and hybrid set-up. The petrol engine will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid model is mated to a CVT gearbox.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a new all-wheel-drive system, capable of sending half of the torque to the rear wheels, distributed to either the right or left side for improved handling. There is also a 2.0-litre petrol engine that will be designed exclusively for the new TNGA platform, available with either a manual or automatic transmission.

The new RAV4 will be available with a variety of safety tech and driver aids, such as a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, autonomous emergency braking, cruise control, and automatic high beams to name a few.

The RAV4 will be launched in South Africa in the second half of 2019, with further details to follow closer to the time.