What’s new: Toyota’s RAV4 went on sale earlier this year, and we’ve now tested the 2.0-litre petrol model.
Excellent: Internal practicality is superb, the rear seats are super simple to fold flat or slide and the boot has a hidden under-floor compartment. But this cleverness is wrecked by the rear door (see Poor).
Good: Toyota’s usual high build quality is obvious. Fit and finish spot on. Speedo is ultra-clear too.
Average: The petrol engine may produce 152PS but it feels sluggish and is noisey when revved.
Poor: Side-hinged boot door doesn’t open anywhere near far enough, rendering the fold flat seats pointless because you can’t insert large objects. The gearchange is also overly notchy. Note, the top-spec T180 model has runflat tyres, no spare and a fully opening door.
Verdict: Boot-lid design flaw is a real turn-off for an otherwise credible 4×4 competitor.
