The electrified Toyota RAV4 gains power and fuel economy, but its price stays the same

Toyota may be the inventor of the hybrid car for the modern age with its Prius about 20 years ago, but curiously, for many years hybrids were rather lacking in the model lineup here in Singapore despite many being available overseas. Now, there’s a hybrid to suit nearly every need and budget, and the RAV4 SUV is the latest model to receive the treatment.

The new RAV4 Hybrid is an upgrade from the current RAV4 2.0L petrol version in almost every conceivable way. Its electric motor is mated to a 2.5-litre engine which generate a combined 215hp. That’s a significant leg up from the 170hp power output of the petrol model, and so is the acceleration: 8.1 seconds 0-100km/h for the Hybrid, down from 9.8 seconds for the petrol.

Not only do you get extra power, but (naturally) fuel economy improves massively as well: Toyota claims the RAV4 Hybrid will do 21.2km/L, up from 16.7km/L. And all of this for no price increase - as of March 2022, both the RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 petrol cost S$196,888 with COE.

Apart from the drivetrain, the RAV4 remains almost unchanged from before. Just, new wheel designs, LED headlights, a fully digital instrument display, and an aftermarket touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto Connectivity feature on the proverbial “spot the difference” list.

In all other respects, the RAV4 Hybrid remains a thoroughly sensible (and in our opinion, very good looking) family car. It has a big 542-litre boot, split-folding rear seats, electric tailgate, wireless charging, and the Toyota Safety Sense suite of active safety technology.