![]() Sitting in the back seat is what really drives home the fact that Toyota has its stuff together with the RAV4’s cabin. The controls, meanwhile, are all easily within reach and the cupholders are low enough to keep larger coffee cups out of arm’s way, too, which is important. Most owners will likely take no issue with this, as I don’t know how much aggressive cornering they’ll be doing in their RAV4. I found the seat to be just a little flat, though, which did have me sliding around a bit through bends. The driver sits quite high, providing a great view out over the squared-off hood. When it comes to interior space as well as ergonomics, I found very little fault with the RAV4. At least there’s Android Auto compatibility now, and the JBL audio that comes as part of the TRD Off Road package – as well as the top Limited trim – is a nice addition. Like so many other vehicles in the brand’s lineup, the RAV4’s system features dim graphics, a slightly laggy touchscreen, and a general sense of malaise about its operation. When it comes to infotainment, it seems Toyota simply refuses to change with the times. That’s in addition to what’s already standard, including a full suite of advanced safety equipment like lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, forward emergency braking, and blind-spot detection. Trail spec is one from the top in the 2020 RAV4 lineup, meaning heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless charging, and eight-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and – finally – Android Auto, a sunroof, and all-wheel drive. The TRD Off Road version is only offered with a black interior – the Trail can be had with a brown-and-white cabin – and adds some red highlights, as well as TRD logos on the front headrests. That’s matched by a rubberized coating on the inside of the door pulls, and other nifty bits of textured toughness. A few controls are chunky and rubberized for better grip and more ease-of-use with gloves on. That’s a remarkable achievement, making the RAV4 actually kind of. The fact that the additions haven’t changed the styling all that much means the RAV4 – even in this spec – retains the good looks that have it looking like the offspring of some of Toyota’s larger SUV offerings, and probably the best-looking mainstream crossover out there today this side of the Mazda CX-5. The suspension tuning that’s only offered with the TRD Off Road package doesn’t change the ride height, and my tester’s Lunar Rock paint and contrasting white roof is available on the Trail trim without the upgrade package. There are some new 18-inch wheels shod in chunkier tires (switched for winters on my tester), higher-profile roof rails, and thicker wheel-arch moldings that’s about it. Since the latest RAV4 has already been given a big boost in the toughness department with the addition of squared-off wheel wells, an enlarged grille, and a boxier silhouette, it seems that not a whole lot had to be done to get it to Trail status, let alone TRD Off Road. For 2020, Toyota has gone back to the drawing board and added even more toughness to the already rough-and-tumble RAV4 Trail model with the TRD Off Road package. It’s tougher-looking, more chiseled, a little more purposeful, and, if I’m honest, my favourite looking RAV4 of all-time. One of the pioneers of the crossover game, the made-in-Canada Toyota RAV4 received a redesign for 2019 that has it looking very unlike any version before it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |