The current Toyota RAV4 crossover SUV has been on the market for around three years now and in the meantime it never really received an update while all of its competitors had. This made it lose on sales and slowly becoming one of the oldest cars in its class. However, Toyota is going to release a facelifted 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid with new hybrid powertrain, good fuel economy and bolder look. The new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2016 will be presented in April, at 2015 New York Motor Show.
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid redesign
Inside the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid things are likely to change for the better. While the current car offers a decent quality interior with a great layout, this could easily be improved with the addition of a few extra features as well as a more up to date design. We should see a bigger 8 or 10 inch navigation unit, more premium materials like aluminum or leather as well as nicer seats. The outside of the model might change in two different ways. It will either be just a small facelift or it will take a lot of inspiration from the next generation Prius as well as from the Adventure model. The front end might become more aggressive with a slightly higher ride height as well as more black moldings on the sides of the car which should give it a more masculine look.
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2016 specs
Engine wise, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is quite likely to borrow drivetrain from the 2015 Lexus NX 300h. That means that under the hood of the new RAV4 will probably be 2.5-liter inline 4 paired with two electric motors/generators. Together they are able to deliver 194 horsepower, which is 18 ponies more than standard RAV4. All of these will be mated to Toyota’s new 6-speed automatic and to an all wheel drive system or a front wheel drive system on the base models. With this combination the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2016 will have fuel economy rated around 33 mpg for FWD and 32 mpg for all-wheel-drive models.
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid release date and price
The new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2016 will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April 2015 and it should be available in showrooms by the end of the year. This new model is also possible to get a new platform which it will share with the new Prius but Toyota hasn’t confirmed this just yet. The price will remain the same so expect to pay at least $27,000 for a base 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid while a more premium model is likely to fetch in excess of $34,000.
