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By
EWAN KENNEDY
17 December 2007
Toyota RAV4 has just moved up a class in size and power by offering the
option of a 3.5-litre V6 engine. The new engine is already used in
Toyota's Aurion, Kluger and Tarago. It has twin overhead camshafts and
variable valve timing to maximise efficiency.
The RAV4 puts drive to the front wheels through a five-speed
automatic transmission. When there's too much slippage at the
front wheels, such as on icy or dusty surfaces, some torque is
transferred to the back wheels to maintain progress.
We sampled the new engine on sand dunes and a beach near
Toyota's Sydney headquarters, then did some traffic and open road
driving to sample it in normal condtions.
Unfortunately, the sand was damp from recent rain and there was
no wind. Meaning the surface was smooth and firm. So we couldn’t
really test the RAV4 properly. It certainly felt more than
competent and on the couple of soft areas we did find the
all-wheel-drive system was quick to kick in.
On the open road the benefits of a six-cylinder engine really
showed up. The added smoothness not only made the drivetrain feel
and sound really sophisticated, but also improved the complete
vehicle. There were times when we felt as though we were in a
luxury sedan instead of a family 4WD.
We weren’t able to do any proper fuel consumption tests, but
it frequently happens that an easy going six doesn’t use much
more petrol than a four-cylinder unit that’s working relatively
hard.
The six-speed automatic transmission is a real beauty and is
virtually always in the gear a good driver would have selected if
a manual gearbox was installed. Sixth ratio is high for easy
cruising, but the auto is happy to promptly change down to fifth
if you need to climb a hill.
Since the release of the latest model Toyota RAV4 early in 2006
the vehicle is significantly bigger than every before and four
adults can get comfortable inside, even on long trips. The typical
family load of two adults and three kids will travel with room to
spare.
The latest Toyota RAV4, in either inline-four or V6 format is
nicely refined and offers quiet running on most road surfaces,
though some coarse-chip roads can send a fair bit of noise up to
the cabin.
Prices of the new V6 models begin at $39,990 for the CV6
version, the SX6 has a recommended retail price of $43,990 and the
topline ZR6 carries a tag of $49,990. These are good prices and
indicate the continuing strength of the Australian dollar against
the Japanese yen. Four-cylinder Toyota RAV4s are still on sale and
their prices begin at $31,990.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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