2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime first drive review: The way a plug-in hybrid should be – Green Car Reports

Proper in regards to the time I’d handed 30 miles of all-electric driving with the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, I knew this expertise was going to be completely different. There was loads of cost left. 

With an anticipated EPA-rated 42-mile vary from its huge 18.1-kwh battery pack, adopted by an anticipated 38 mpg mixed after working via the cost, the RAV4 Prime guarantees to move commuters to work and again once more with out tailpipe emissions and without having a cost. With recommended availability throughout the U.S., not simply in California or a couple of choose states, the RAV4 Prime picks up proper the place the Chevy Volt left off. 

Even higher, it’s the hottest crossover in these crossover-crazy instances. The RAV4 just isn’t solely the top-selling SUV within the U.S. marketplace for three years; the RAV4 Hybrid was additionally the top-selling hybrid in America final yr—handily outselling the Toyota Prius. 

The Prime lastly checks practically all of the tech and special-needs containers. It has a heat-pump climate-control system with resistive warmth that doesn’t require the engine to come back on within the winter. It has all-wheel drive, and may even tow 2,500 kilos. 

As I lately found over three days and greater than 250 miles with the RAV4 Prime it lives as much as its billing. 

All-electric for the commute—after which some

Contemporary off a primary cost and with real-world vary a prime precedence, I examined out three rigorously deliberate routes (leaving the local weather management set to 72 levels F in every, albeit in delicate climate starting from 59 to 70 levels F). First, I did a combined loop that included practically 20 miles of leisurely inner-Portland street-and-boulevard driving, largely at 30 to 50 mph, adopted by as a lot go-with-the-flow freeway driving from outer suburbs again into downtown freeway loops (which ended up being 50 to 70 mph) as it could deal with in EV mode. In all I lined greater than 30 miles of freeway driving, starting from 50 to 70 mph, merely shifting alongside on the velocity of site visitors (and utilizing the cruise management when potential). My grand whole on plug-in energy alone was 52.5 miles. 

Subsequent up was a freeway loop. I selected a stretch of freeway that was free-flowing within the night and moved at 55 to 75 mph, with the typical possible round 65. There, EV mode lasted 41 miles. 

Lastly, I did what I’d name a extra vigorous commute loop, with the identical preliminary 20 miles as the primary loop, adopted by an 8-mile stretch with poorly synced site visitors lights, 10 miles of up-and-down 45-mph backroads, then metropolis streets starting from 25-40 mph for the rest. Right here, the RAV4 Prime’s EV mode lasted 47 miles. 

These loops corresponded to journey effectivity scores of three.2, 2.6, and three.1 miles per kwh. Sure, I do know it doesn’t fairly add up, however that should sign that the system is switching out of EV mode with barely completely different quantities of capability left every time. 

The utmost velocity in EV mode is 84 mph. I used to be largely going for effectivity in the course of the time I drove the Prime and didn’t go a lot past 75 mph. However I can report that flooring the accelerator pedal (or near it) in EV mode doesn’t unduly hearth up the engine. 

Chasing the Supra

The Prime feels lots perky in its EV mode, the place the throttle response and basic energy on faucet felt so much like our first-generation Leaf pushed in Eco mode. On plug-in energy, the Prime accelerates in 9.2 seconds formally, which is barely 0.9 seconds slower than the 2016-2018 Hybrid. It feels even faster than that, in all probability since you’re not listening to any engine drone, but in addition as a result of it’s faster beneath about 40 mph. 

When the system switches over to Hybrid mode, it turns into  surprisingly fast. With the engine on, it might probably get to 60 mph in simply 5.7 seconds and is the quickest RAV4 ever, in addition to the second-quickest car within the Toyota lineup behind the Supra. 

Its 302-horsepower whole system score is an 83-hp improve over that of the RAV4 Hybrid, and but in accordance with Toyota that doesn’t include any important bodily variations within the structure of the hybrid system itself or the motor models. With none electrical energy, it’s virtually as environment friendly because the 40 mpg mixed within the RAV4 Hybrid—at an estimated 38 mpg mixed. With the Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-Four tuned solely barely completely different (making 177 hp and 165 lb-ft by itself), and the entrance and rear motors making 179 and 53 hp, respectively, the important thing element added to the Prime—aside from the larger battery—is a second increase converter that enables extra energy to be drawn from the battery rapidly when wanted. 

What separates the Prime in Hybrid mode from the RAV4 Hybrid, which I’ve pushed a number of instances, is the rapid energy supply when you press the accelerator. 

Though Toyota’s bragging rights relating to the RAV4’s acceleration are justified, the RAV4 Prime in any other case feels well-mannered however not notably sporty. 

Impressed by a one-sheet Toyota positioned within the car claiming that client analysis confirmed the Prime outperformed the Porsche Macan in virtually each class (supply not disclosed), I headed out on considered one of my favourite curvy backroads. The nice grip from the Yokohama Avid GT rubber proved a optimistic, and partly hid some queasy motions from the suspension when pressed more durable on undulating pavement.

There’s no disguising the Prime is way heavier than the RAV4’s authentic template—about 4,300 kilos as examined in XSE guise, versus about 3,800 for the RAV4 Hybrid or 3,500 kilos for the non-hybrid RAV4. 

Toyota says that it wanted a better degree of refinement within the Prime versus the remainder of the lineup. To assist hush the inside throughout EV mode, the place you would possibly discover street and wind noise extra, the Prime has laminated entrance facet home windows plus extra sound damping. 

The rear motor is primarily used to achieve traction at low speeds. On a full throttle Hybrid mode begin with the pavement barely damp, there was primarily zero wheelspin and a really fast launch; however by the point we reached 40 mph the facility distribution had shifted largely or totally to the entrance wheels.

And that’s actually the one time you would possibly discover the facility transitions between electrical and gasoline sources. Like most Toyota hybrids of the previous twenty years, the transitions are seamless aside from listening to the engine be aware among the time. 

A couple of puzzling particulars, however an amazing road-trip machine

Brake-pedal really feel was very similar to that of different Toyota hybrids—perhaps a bit on the comfortable facet, however mixing in regenerative braking in a progressive approach that made it simple to come back to a cease with out judders. 

On a steep descent, I famous that Hybrid mode supplies surprisingly little regenerative braking, or something approximating a low gear (what was known as ‘B’ on Toyota hybrids). With steering-wheel paddles included on XSE fashions, a click on of the left one quickly raised revs and was helpful for faster energy supply out of the following nook however appeared to don’t have anything to do with added regen—leaving me to journey the brake pedal to realize the specified degree. 

In EV mode, the paddles serve a special goal. There, a click on of the left paddle does improve regen considerably—though that additionally appeared to outing. 

To complete the effectivity impressions, I did some rigorously thought of loops in Hybrid mode, too. As with every tall, relatively boxy car, the RAV4 Hybrid can’t boast to be notably fuel-efficient in long-distance freeway driving. Over 64 miles of out-and-back Interstate freeway driving, going 70 mph a technique and 65 mph the opposite, I averaged just under 35 mpg, in accordance with the journey laptop. After which over 63 miles—attempting to carefully match the situations to that first drive loop (the sunshine commute)—we averaged 39 mpg on solely gasoline.

The takeaway: It’s fast and refined, and you’ll take the household wherever you’re going a couple of instances a yr with out the hunt for chargers, but you could be all-electric the remainder of the time. 

Charging it up

The liquid-cooled pack, crammed with 96 prismatic cells from Prime Planet Vitality & Options, Inc.—the brand new three way partnership established earlier this yr between Panasonic and Toyota—took precisely 4.5 hours, restricted by my check car’s 3.3-kw onboard charger. Toyota says the accessible 6.6-kw onboard charger will shorten that to 2.5 hours—a lot nearer to the time of a purchasing cease or lengthy lunch. In any other case the Prime will cost up in 12 hours on a 120V AC outlet. 

The 2 instances we charged to full, our JuiceBox Professional 40 240-volt charger indicated 15.Zero and 14.Eight kwh inputted; though there’s a whole lot of potential inaccuracy in these numbers, they verify {that a} relatively massive chunk of the battery is being saved for hybrid operation—and battery degradation—in order to maintain efficiency the identical over time.

Individually, there’s a Cost mode. In aiming to get a great tackle the Prime’s effectivity and usefulness as a plug-in, we didn’t give {that a} full check, but it surely successfully enables you to cost the battery again many of the approach so you’ll be able to enter an city space sans tailpipe emissions. 

In line with the analog state-of-charge gauge within the instrument cluster, you employ the higher 75% of the battery’s cost for EV mode. In line with Toyota the decrease portion of the cost assures that Hybrid mode acceleration needs to be precisely the identical whether or not you could have a full cost or haven’t plugged in in any respect.

Your little secret

Exterior of the plug-in hybrid badging on the entrance fender, solely essentially the most devoted RAV4 followers are going to see you as a part of the electrical revolution. There are a couple of refined styling particulars, with a novel bumper and grille look and, on XSE fashions, vertical LED accent lights. A gloss-black bumper, chrome twin tailpipes, and LED taillights additional separate the Prime, plus on XSE fashions there’s a two-tone roof. 

The Prime affords a head-up show—the primary ever provided in a RAV4—and a bigger 9.0-inch touchscreen show that regarded nice at evening however in the course of the day appeared to lack the distinction of rival fashions. The system is appropriate with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa, and comes with a three-month trial of Sirius XM satellite tv for pc radio. And there’s a complete of 5 USB ports. 

The overall storage within the Prime is 33.5 cubic toes with the seats upright, barely lower than the Hybrid because of the elements and a barely larger cargo flooring. With the second row folded it’s 63.2 cubic toes. That compares with 37.6 cubic toes and 69.Eight cubic toes, respectively, for the Hybrid. 

That doesn’t imply rear seat room is in any approach compromised. I’m 6’-6” and match again there simply high quality; the entrance seats are additionally fairly supportive. 

There was hypothesis that the RAV4 Prime would observe the Prius Prime and include a photo voltaic roof possibility. However in accordance with assistant chief engineer Takeshi Miyaura, one of many prime priorities for the undertaking was that the roof opened, so the group didn’t plan on that chance. 

Will Toyota construct sufficient?

Feeling fairly optimistic in regards to the RAV4 Prime? Right here’s the truth test: Toyota is barely planning on about 20,000 RAV4 Primes a yr, initially. But it’s a extra engaging car than the Hybrid in each approach, and as we beforehand identified in outlining this mannequin’s options and pricing, when you embrace the $7,500 federal EV tax credit score and state incentives, it may price lower than the RAV4 Hybrid. 

To place that in perspective, Toyota offered 92,525 RAV4 Hybrids final yr, and practically 450,000 RAV4s mixed. The XSE mannequin we examined totaled $44,165—or $36,665 if you recognize you’ll be able to declare the credit score.

That might be a harsh actuality for Toyota in misgauging pent-up demand. The Prime is actually good. It’s what a plug-in hybrid needs to be and completely definitely worth the cash. If Toyota will promote you one. 

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