The Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid joins the RAV4 range in the UK in March 2021, with the promise of 302bhp and 46.6 miles.
Toyota announced a year ago that, despite apparent reservations at Toyota about PHEVs, that the RAV4 with plug-in hybrid powertrain would arrive this year.
That’s not happening (we’ll blame it on Covid – it covers most things) but the RAV4 PHEV will be getting its UK showroom launch in March 2021, ahead of which Toyota is ready to deliver details on it;s powertrain and performance. And they’re quite appealing.
Unsurprisingly powered by Toyota’s 2.5 litre Atkinson petrol engine, it’s combined with an 18kWh lithium-ion battery pack powering a pair of electric motors for a combined output of 302bhp, making the RAV4 PHEV easily the most powerful RAV4 you can buy.
The spec adds up to a 6.0 seconds to 62mph and an impressive electric-only range of 46.6 miles thanks to that chunky lithium-ion battery (well, chunky for a PHEV) and official economy of a mad 282.5mpg.
But, maybe, this time the economy figures aren’t quite as implausible as they usually are for a PHEV, because the RAV4 defaults to EV mode (as long as you’ve charged the battery) even if you muller the accelerator, and if you are just driving around town it will actually do more like 60 miles as an EV. Which means most drivers can actually use it as an EV for most of the time.
As the flagship of the RAV4 range you can expect a decent spec and some cosmetic titivations, but Toyota won’t be revealing those, or the UK price for the RAV4 PHEV, until closer to its arrival.
But, as compromise PHEVs go, the RAV4 plug-in hybrid looks a good shout.
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