![]() If you decide to gun it, you’ll find it’s not particularly quick off the line, but that its engine at least revs eagerly while emitting an ok soundtrack. Power delivery from the 2.5-liter is smooth and there’s plenty of torque down low for urban commuting. bring the kids the school, carry your groceries or allow you to shove a new IKEA bookcase down its trunk. Instead, this crossover is perfectly content completing the daily grind, i.e. It’s handy out in a slightly bumpy trail with a bit of mud, but don’t expect to partake in some wall-climbing action in your RAV4. The RAV4 does at least have a “Rock & Dirt” mode, which adjusts its traction control system and transmission mapping for better grip on the rough stuff. And that’s fine, because Toyota still sells the 4Runner and the Tacoma for those who absolutely must bring a Toyota out in the beaten path. ![]() But, when you think about it, isn’t this what we all want? Let’s face it, even if Toyota tries really hard to convince consumers that you can take this new RAV4 out in a trail, most owners will probably never hit the mud in one. While the 2020 Toyota RAV4 has a sportier and more adventurous look, it’s still the same tried and proven formula underneath, which means it drives well, but never lights your hair on fire. Final price for the adventurous-looking urban crossover you see here is $44,589. The TRD Off Road package also comes with what Toyota calls, a SofTex interior, with contrasting colors and red TRD logo on the seats, which give it a distinguished sporty presence. You need to pay $540 extra if you want a white roof like this one. It only comes in three colors: Super White, Magnetic Grey Metallic (as tested) and Lunar Rock. The kit adds model-specific 18-inch wheels, TRD tuned “off road” suspension, LED fog lights, an 11-speaker JBL sound system and an eight-inch screen. It’s essentially an all-wheel-drive RAV4 Trail ($41,229) with a $2,820-dollar package grafted onto it. My tester was a new trim level for the 2020 model-year, the one Toyota calls TRD Off Road. Front-wheel-drive is standard, with available all-wheel-drive. While the hybrid is bolted to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the 2.5-liter gets an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Power in the 2020 Toyota RAV4 comes from two engine choices, either a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder (as tested) good for a claimed 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, or a 219-horsepower hybrid. It’s also more aggressive now, appearing more like a mini 4Runner than a bloated minivan, which I quite like. The vehicle’s center of gravity was lowered for better handling and improved interior packaging. Longer and wider than its predecessor, this new RAV4 rides on Toyota’s modular TNGA-K architecture, which also underpins the Camry and Highlander. Now though, Toyota had given its compact SUV some presence by making it look blockier, more adventurous. It was rather a rational, reliable and affordable form of transportation. The RAV4 was never a particularly exciting product, nor one you necessarily dreamed of owning. Where past Toyota RAV4s weren’t great was in the way they looked and made you feel. It’s the same good Toyota RAV4 as before. Fine, I hadn’t driven the new RAV4 yet, so I was curious to find out what it’s like. So when Toyota Canada offered me to take the latest model for spin, I didn’t exactly know what to do with it.
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