The new Toyota RAV4: familiar name, noticeably classier car. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Introduction
Ask someone to name a sensible family SUV and there's a decent chance "RAV4" comes out before they've finished thinking. It's been the default answer for years. That's great news for Toyota, but it also means the new one has a lot to live up to, because people buy these on reputation as much as anything else.
So is the latest RAV4 a proper step forward, or just the old recipe with a fresh coat of paint? Short answer: it's a bigger leap than we expected, especially once you open the door.
Exterior Design
The new RAV4 still looks every inch a RAV4, just sharper and more confident than before. It's chunky and purposeful without trying too hard, which is pretty much what you want from a family SUV that's going to spend the next decade parked outside your block. We'll let the pictures do most of the talking here.
Chunky, purposeful and unmistakably RAV4. Photo: Cars&TechSG
A clean side profile and a sharp new headlight design. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Interior & Technology
This is where the new RAV4 really shows off. Toyota has clearly stopped being shy about making its cabins feel nice. Soft leather covers the bits you actually touch, and there's a gunmetal style finish across parts of the dash and trim that gives the whole place a grown up, properly premium look. It isn't flashy. It just feels well thought out and well screwed together.
Soft leather and gunmetal toned trim give the RAV4's cabin a genuinely upmarket feel. Photo: Cars&TechSG
The 10.5 inch multimedia screen is sharp, quick to respond and refreshingly simple to use. You won't find yourself digging three menus deep just to change something basic. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both there, but honestly, the built in navigation is good enough that you might not bother plugging your phone in at all. It even shows you where the traffic lights are along your route. Sounds like a small thing, until you're in an unfamiliar estate trying to work out which junction is yours.
And here's something we wish every carmaker would copy: physical buttons for the climate control. Want it cooler? Press a button. No poking around a touchscreen while you're doing 70km/h on the PIE. Thank you, Toyota.
Then there are the big buttons just below the infotainment screen for EV Mode and the drive modes. They're chunky, clearly labelled and impossible to miss, almost as if the car is tapping you on the shoulder going "hey, I'm here, use me". It's a bit of a quirky design choice, and we rather loved it. It gives the cabin a bit of personality without making anything harder to use.
Behind the wheel you get a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster plus a head up display. The driver display is clean and easy to read at a glance, with none of the clutter some rivals cram onto their screens just because they can. Everything you need, nothing you don't.
The 12.3 inch digital cluster keeps things clean and clutter free, while the twin wireless pads sit neatly beside the cup holders. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Driver's Seat & Controls
The steering wheel is nicely shaped and just right to hold, with a grip that feels natural rather than chunky for the sake of looking sporty. There are plenty of shortcut buttons on it too, so you can handle most things without taking your hands off the wheel.
The RAV4 also gets a shift by wire gear selector, which is a first for Toyota. It frees up space on the centre console and feels modern without being gimmicky. More importantly, everything you'd regularly reach for, drive modes included, sits comfortably within arm's reach. Nothing feels like an afterthought.
Seats & Comfort
The front seats are ventilated, which in Singapore's weather isn't so much a luxury as a basic human right. Climb into the back and legroom is decent, not class leading but perfectly fine, while headroom is genuinely good. Even our taller passengers sat comfortably without their hair brushing the roof lining.
Refinement is another strong point. The RAV4 is quiet on the move, and there's no noticeable whine from the hybrid battery system when you're gliding along on electric power, something a few hybrids are still guilty of. Even the doors shut with a solid, satisfying thunk that makes the whole car feel more expensive than you'd expect.
Ventilated front seats, and enough rear headroom for taller passengers. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Rear legroom is decent, and headroom is good even for taller passengers. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Rear passengers get their own air con vents and USB-C ports, so nobody in the back is left sweating or stuck on 5% battery. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Practicality
Boot space is a whopping 749 litres, slightly bigger than the previous generation, which was hardly cramped to begin with. That's enough room for a week's worth of groceries, a stroller and the golf bag you keep promising to use more often. If you're a family that packs for every possible scenario on a road trip up north, the RAV4 will swallow it all.
749L of boot space, up slightly on the outgoing model. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Driving Dynamics
With 215hp and 221Nm going to the front wheels through a CVT gearbox, the RAV4 gets from 0 to 100km/h in 8 seconds. That's properly brisk for a family SUV, and it means merging onto the expressway or overtaking a slow lorry never feels like a strain.
The steering, though, felt a touch stiff to us. Not heavy in a sporty, feelsome way, just a little firmer than you'd want in a relaxed family car. Some drivers will like the extra reassurance, others may find it a bit tiring after a long day of carpark shuffling.
Through everyday bends the RAV4 is comfortable and predictable. Push it harder through tighter corners, however, and it's not quite as composed as we'd like. It's clearly a car that prefers being driven smoothly rather than hustled, which, let's be honest, is exactly how most owners will drive it anyway.
Comfortable and quick enough, though it prefers a smooth driving style to hard cornering. Photo: Cars&TechSG
Safety
The RAV4 comes with Toyota's enhanced Safety Sense 4.0 suite, and the feature we appreciated most is Safe Exit Assist. It warns you if a car, motorcycle or cyclist is approaching from behind as you're about to open your door. Anyone who has parked along a busy road with a PCN nearby will know exactly how useful that is, especially with kids hopping out of the back.
Fuel Economy
On paper, Toyota claims the RAV4 will return 19.6km/L. Pair that with a 55 litre fuel tank and the theoretical range works out to roughly 1,078km between fills. Real world numbers will naturally depend on how and where you drive, but either way, you'll be seeing a lot less of your local petrol kiosk.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Claimed Fuel Economy | 19.6 km/L |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 55 L |
| Theoretical Range (claimed x tank) | Approx. 1,078 km |
Verdict
The new RAV4 keeps everything that made the old one such an easy recommendation: it's practical, it's efficient and it's packed with safety kit. What's changed is how it makes you feel. The cabin is genuinely premium now, the tech is simple and sensible, and little touches like the physical climate buttons, ventilated seats and that solid door thunk add up to a car that feels more expensive than its badge suggests.
It's not perfect. The steering is a touch stiff and it's not the car for attacking your favourite B road. But as a do it all family SUV that's comfortable, quiet and very easy to live with, the RAV4 is better than ever. If it was already on your shortlist, this one deserves to stay there.
Comfortable, quiet and ready for family duty. The new Toyota RAV4 on the road. Photo: Cars&TechSG
📋 Key Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Toyota RAV4 (new generation) |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive |
| Gearbox | CVT, shift by wire selector (a first for Toyota) |
| Power Output | 215 hp |
| Torque | 221 Nm |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 8 seconds |
| Claimed Fuel Economy | 19.6 km/L |
| Fuel Tank | 55 L |
| Boot Space | 749 L (slightly up on previous generation) |
| Infotainment | 10.5 inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto |
| Navigation | Built in, with traffic light locations shown on the map |
| Driver Display | 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster plus head up display |
| Charging | Dual 45W USB-C ports, two wireless charging pads |
| Climate Control | Physical temperature buttons |
| Seats | Ventilated front seats |
| Interior | Soft leather with gunmetal toned trim |
| Rear Space | Decent legroom, good headroom for taller passengers |
| Safety | Enhanced Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, including Safe Exit Assist |
| Refinement | Quiet ride, no audible battery whine, solid door shut |
| Steering | Ergonomic wheel with ample shortcut buttons; feels a touch stiff |
| Handling | Comfortable in normal corners, less composed when pushed hard |