This Angular Lifestyle Machine Is The New Toyota Rav4

Toyota continues to de-bland its line-up, revealing a dramatically-styled Rav4 for the New York Auto Show ahead of a 2019 debut
This Angular Lifestyle Machine Is The New Toyota Rav4

What the hell is going on at Toyota right now? Only a few years ago, the GT86 was the only ray of hope in a dreary line-up of cars like the Auris and Avensis, but the Japanese company seems determined to kick boring to the kerb in a rather daring shake-up.

We have current and incoming performance cars like the Yaris GRMN and GR Supra, boldly-styled cars for normals like the C—HR and the new Auris, and now there’s this: the new Rav4.

This Angular Lifestyle Machine Is The New Toyota Rav4

Granted, a Rav4 isn’t exactly prime CT fodder, but we were taken aback by its angular, almost utilitarian aesthetic. It’s a vastly different approach to the anonymous model it replaces, which I genuinely had to Google just to remind myself how it looks.

The new version looks a lot bigger and more imposing than the current model, but in reality it’s only slightly larger, growing 10mm in width, with the wheelbase extended by 30mm. The overhangs are shorter, too.

This Angular Lifestyle Machine Is The New Toyota Rav4

There’ll be a 2.0-litre petrol engine available, plus a 2.5-litre hybrid powertrain. The 2.0-litre has a conventional mechanical all-wheel drive system that’s able to decouple the rear axle (when fitted with an automatic transmission), while the hybrid version powers the rear wheels using an electric motor. There won’t be a diesel option, owing to Toyota’s decision to phase out oil burners in its range.

We don’t have any stats for the engines, and there’s a general lack of technical detail from Toyota at this stage - probably because the car won’t go on sale until early 2019. It’s on display at the New York Auto Show from today.

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Comments

Advanced Handling Flags

‘Lifestyle Machine?’ Please don’t tell me Car Throttle is endorsed by Toyota now

03/28/2018 - 23:37 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I hope this time they make it with a higher ground clearance than the Audi a7.

03/29/2018 - 12:01 |
0 | 0
///AMG_fanboi74

Aztek? Is that u?

03/29/2018 - 17:55 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Time to trade in the RAV4 I won asap before the 2019 model comes out lol

03/30/2018 - 07:05 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Can’t say I’m feeling it.

03/31/2018 - 13:20 |
0 | 0