Soon after its release, I drove the Toyota Rav4. At the time of its introduction to the market, it was only available as a 4-cylinder. I recall being disappointed with the lack of power from the engine, which struggled at times to haul the car’s mass. Toyota has addressed these concerns and stuck the same engine as the Aurion underneath the Rav4’s bonnet. Case closed, Paul is now happy. Err…not quite.
I took the new V6 Rav4 for a spin and it was interesting to say the least. Packing some 201kW and 333Nm of torque, this V6 motor is certainly no lightweight. Weighing in at 1655kg, the Rav4 is quite a light ‘SUV’ in relative terms. The 200mm ground clearance increases the centre of gravity and the semi-off-road capable tyres reduce grip levels. This set of factors makes for quite a challenging combination.
My first encounter was a truck with loose cargo travelling under the speed limit and partially in my lane. I had to pass it, so I sank the boot in and received the shock of my life as the car torque steered in several different directions. The V6 engine sends power through the front wheels and only redirects it to the rear wheels if it detects slippage.
If I thought that was bad, the following day it started raining. Pulling away from an intersection in peak-hour traffic required a decent prod of the throttle to hurry things along. Stabbing the loud pedal produced a flurry of wheel spin (typical of an overpowered front-wheel-drive vehicle). No problems I thought, in a matter of moments power will be sent to the rear and we will have more traction with which to work.
I took the new V6 Rav4 for a spin and it was interesting to say the least. Packing some 201kW and 333Nm of torque, this V6 motor is certainly no lightweight. Weighing in at 1655kg, the Rav4 is quite a light ‘SUV’ in relative terms. The 200mm ground clearance increases the centre of gravity and the semi-off-road capable tyres reduce grip levels. This set of factors makes for quite a challenging combination.
My first encounter was a truck with loose cargo travelling under the speed limit and partially in my lane. I had to pass it, so I sank the boot in and received the shock of my life as the car torque steered in several different directions. The V6 engine sends power through the front wheels and only redirects it to the rear wheels if it detects slippage.
If I thought that was bad, the following day it started raining. Pulling away from an intersection in peak-hour traffic required a decent prod of the throttle to hurry things along. Stabbing the loud pedal produced a flurry of wheel spin (typical of an overpowered front-wheel-drive vehicle). No problems I thought, in a matter of moments power will be sent to the rear and we will have more traction with which to work.
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