The car manufacturer already has seven hybrids out in today’s market, and with the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, it now counts to eight. This is the company’s smallest crossover and it has also received partial battery power. At first glance, it does look to be quite the package, especially when you cannot buy one in any of the RAV4’s lesser trim levels.
A Look at the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
How come you can’t buy lesser trim levels for the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? Because the performance of this 2016 crossover Hybrid will remain the same. You also get a non-turbocharged, 2.5-liter four cylinder engine as part of the package. The whole system puts out 194-horsepower and 206-pound-feet of torque with the standard all-wheel drive. This power is enough to send the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in just about 8.1 seconds. This model is now the most fuel-efficient RAV4 and it is also the best performing one in its class.
Talking about the 2016 RAV4 Hybrid with regards to its fuel economy, the EPA estimates are not yet available. However, Toyota believes that this Hybrid vehicle will achieve 34 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined.
This RAV4 also comes with an EV Mode switch if you are the type of person who has a thirst for electric propulsion. This will allow the car to travel on battery power alone. However, the car’s nickel-metal hydride battery’s limited capacity means that when the vehicle is in EV mode, it will only work for 0.6 miles at a time. Furthermore, the generate speeds will only be up to 25 mph. To push that battery pack to its limits, the car will also come with regenerative braking. This will use deceleration as a generator to give the car’s battery some extra juice.
When looking at the car’s interior, it is practically unchanged from its predecessor. The only new features are LED lower center console lights, a new sunglass holder, a revised cup holder design and a 12-volt outlet for passengers sitting in the back seat. For Toyota’s hybrid models, all of them feature a gauge cluster with a 4.2-inch TFT screen. This will display the car’s pertinent information, which includes a tricky little diagram that explains how the hybrid system is currently working.
Another great addition to the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is its extra features in terms of safety. It is one of the RAV4 models that incorporates the Toyota Safety Sense suite. This feature is an all-encompassing package that will include forward collision warning with automatic pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and blind-spot monitoring.