All over the world, the 2020 Toyota Rav4 is held in high regard and tops many lists of the best compact SUVs around. And with the introduction of a hybrid variant, Toyota is solidifying their place on top.
Since 1994, the Rav4 has always been the fun Toyota SUV aimed at a younger generation. But over the years, the prevalent 4-wheeler has morphed into a vehicle for all age groups.
We jumped behind the wheel to try it out for ourselves and see what all the fuss is about. So join us, and let’s see why the world loves the Rav4 so much.
The good
- Styling
- Cabin space
- Standard safety tech
The bad
- Hard plastics are all over the place
- Noisy engine
- Hybrid has a CVT
As always, a huge shout out to Al Futtaim for providing us with the 2020 Rav4. If it happens to tick all the right boxes and you need somewhere to sell your car, Dubi Cars is the place to be!
Driving the 2020 Toyota Rav4
Instead of opting for the standard 2-litre petrol model, we immediately jumped into the 2.5-litre hybrid model.
The ride was smooth and can be switched up thanks to a drive mode selector.
With the Rav4, you get four drive modes. Turn the dial left, Eco mode pops up, and the car becomes more fuel-efficient. Press it, and the vehicle changes to normal.
Turn it to the right; however, you unleash SPORTS mode, where the dials glow red as does the button and the throttle becomes more responsive.
Lastly is the EV mode. We couldn’t figure this one out as, during our time, we pressed it a few times, and it would always tell us “not enough stored energy” or something along those lines.
The Rav4 isn’t built for the soft sands surrounding the UAE, but don’t let that stop you from heading to Al Qudra lake for a BBQ.
It holds its own off the beaten trail, but you can feel it get loose in softer sands and after that, we stayed away from the dunes.
Inside the 2020 Toyota Rav4
Inside, seating for four is spacious with a fifth person able to squeeze in on the third row.
The boot is spacious too, with enough room for the essentials for a picnic.
With panels of glass all over the place and a long panoramic sunroof, sunlight floods the cabin giving the impression that there’s even more room.
The A/C system is ice cold as you would expect and digital. Adjusting the temperature is done via a dial covered in rubber with grooves giving the system an adventure-esque vibe.
There’s no keyhole in sight and instead the Rav4 uses a push start system.
Scattered around the cabin are storage bins, there all over the place which is odd for a Japanese car but welcome addition.
Safety and tech
Toyota has fitted a sizable touchscreen multimedia unit complete with all the usual gadgets apart from Android Auto. But it does have an HDMI port.
There are a few niggles that got on our nerves, such as music turning off when switching to the map and automatic answering when people call you.
The latter can be turned off, but by default, it’s turned on. It’s as if the Rav4 and tele marketers are working together.
New for 2020 is the wireless charging pad which kept our phone alive, and the cooled seats did their job.
As with all new cars rolling out, there are safety features galore in the Rav4. These range from front and rear parking sensors to tyre pressure monitoring sensors, rearview camera to vehicle stability assist and more.
Starting the car takes some time to get used to as it will always start up via the rechargeable battery leading to a quiet start which left us dumbfounded at first.
The handbrake automatically comes one when you shift into park, an excellent feature for forgetful people.
Final verdict
If you’re looking for a car for you and your family and don’t an SUV that won’t fit into the parking spaces at Dubai Mall, the 2020 Toyota Rav4 is a great choice.
It’s a sensible car with a dash of good looks and best of all; it’s reliable and practical.
We’d certainly put it one step ahead of the 2020 Jeep Compass even without the hybrid system in place.
Dubicars has new Toyota Rav4 and used Toyota Rav4 for sale in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi.
