Toyota reasserts its hybrid mastery with the all-new RAV4

The Philippine automotive landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. The Japanese brands that ruled the market a decade ago are now starting to be overtaken by the Chinese carmakers that the public used to scoff at.

Sheer proof of that is BYD Cars Philippines leapfrogging the competition in 2025. Given the rate at which it boomed, it would be naive to think that it wouldn’t eventually become top of mind in the electrified space, along with other Chinese marques.

That being said, Toyota Motor Philippines also appears to be completely unfazed by the exponential growth of its new competitors, and rightfully so. The trick it had up its sleeve last year was the all-new Ativ, which will help reassert its dominance in the subcompact-sedan segment. Now, it’s brought out a new ace in the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4.

That Toyota didn’t roll out the red carpet for the all-new RAV4’s arrival doesn’t really come as a surprise. It hasn’t held a full-on launch event since the Tamaraw. Of its recent introductions, I believe it was only the Ativ that had real hype, yet it went straight to a mall show the minute it was announced. What the carmaker did have for the RAV4, however, was a proper media drive along with the all-new Urban Cruiser and the rest of Toyota and Lexus’ hybrid and electric lineup.

We kicked things off far north in Quezon City. Quite near the North Luzon Expressway, perhaps to avoid EDSA as much as possible. We had one stop for lunch en route to our final shoot location in New Clark City, Pampanga. Luckily, Top Gear Philippines video head Charles Banaag and I were assigned the base RAV4 ADV. We also had content creator Chenee Jimenez with us on board, but she was still recovering from the gruelling first leg of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup, so she decided to leave driver duties to us. All good.

The basement parking where we picked up the cars was quite noisy, but it felt quiet the minute I stepped into the RAV4’s cabin. Good first impression. I started the car and took a few minutes to appreciate the cabin.

It’s completely different from its predecessor’s interior. It’s now more utilitarian and rugged than premium and classy, and it was built with functionality and ergonomics in mind. Storage spaces are aplenty, and there’s even the nifty center armrest that turns into a tray when flipped. Frankly, the interior better fits a truck than a crossover, yet it’s executed quite well. The cockpit looks a bit cramped, but there’s plenty of room for both first- and second-row passengers, with everything within reach from behind the wheel. The build quality is also superb—it’s one of the most solid Toyota interiors I’ve seen.

I set my seat position before I pinned the Google Maps destination on Apple CarPlay. There’s an all-new 12.9-inch head unit, and it’s arguably the best I’ve used in a Toyota to date. The display is large, the screen is responsive, and the JBL sound setup connected to it is excellent. It made me wonder the type of setup you’d get with the higher LTD trim.

Finally, it was off to the races. I drove up the ramps out of the hotel, and I immediately noticed one thing: Visibility from the driver’s seat is good, but if you prefer a low seat position like I do, the bulges on the hood and the high beltline will make the RAV4 feel like a bigger car than it is. Granted, the parking was tight to begin with, but none of this helped. What did help was the 360-degree camera—the display is crisp and a huge jump from the VGA-like cameras you’ll find in other Toyotas.

The moment we hopped onto EDSA, we knew we were in for a comfortable journey. All three of us immediately started raving about the ride. The RAV4 was supple across the poorly paved thoroughfare, and its suspension made light work even of harsher road imperfections. It’s not too floaty, but what makes the suspension really good is there aren’t any oscillations and the car just feels stable and solid on any surface. NVH levels are also fantastic. We could barely hear any road noise, and very little sound seeped through the windows.

When we reached NLEX, things got even better. Even at highway speeds, road noise was unnoticeable, and on proper asphalt the RAV4 rode as well as any other premium SUV would. It was also here that we got to stretch its legs properly.

There wasn’t a strict convoy so we could’ve gunned it all the way to Pampanga if we wanted to, but we decided to roll on the highway with our other friends who were in the RAV4 LTD and the fully electric bZ4X so we could shoot good footage and stills. This part of the drive entailed a lot of slowing down and accelerating. It’s a bit erratic, to be honest, but this was also where I discovered how properly responsive and stable the RAV4 is.

The pedal feel is amazing, and when you step on the accelerator, the RAV4 puts down power with no fuss. It’s not fast by any means and it’s not meant to be, but it has the oomph when you need it. Getting to 100kph from a standstill will take a bit of time, but it accelerates way more smoothly than the old RAV4 Hybrid did. There’s also no sign of the whirring engine when you floor it.

The brakes feel just as solid. The vehicle, despite its size, can stop on a dime. I had to hard-brake at some point when a truck cut me off, and I was easily able to decelerate without having to mash on the pedal. Granted, it feels stiff like any other Toyota brake pedal, but you know there’s much more stopping power here than the usual.

We used the entire stretch of NLEX to shoot as much as we could before we stopped for a sumptuous lunch in San Fernando. For the final stretch of the drive, Ulysses Ang of CarGuide.PH asked if we wanted to swap cars so we could try out the LTD and they could have a go in the ADV, and we happily obliged.

The base variant is the more rugged of the two, with a more traditional RAV4-like look. ‘ADV’ stands for Adventure, and the features like the roof rail and the chunkier tires wrapping the 18-inch wheels give you a sense of that. The LTD, meanwhile, looks classier with a Corolla Cross-like front fascia, larger 20-inch alloys, and low-profile tires. Inside, the LTD has a larger sunroof, a head-up display for the driver, ventilation for the front seats, a second wireless charging pad, and an electrochromic mirror. It supposedly has the better interior with proper leather (the ADV gets synthetic leather), but I personally prefer the look and feel of the lower variant’s cabin.

We headed out to New Clark City via Porac, and the provincial roads quickly made it evident that the LTD had the stiffer ride. The wider wheels and tires should mean better traction, but we could feel more of the ruts and potholes. This next route did have a bit more turns and corners than the expressway, so the RAV4 was able to show how well it handled. It would’ve been fun to drive this through twisties to see just how good its road-holding is courtesy of the new all-wheel-drive system, but we can save that for the next road trip.

Speaking of which, the new all-wheel-drive layout is standard across the range, making the two RAV4 variants identical. Both come with the same 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain with two electric motors driving. The front and rear motors put out 201Nm and 121Nm, respectively, while the engine churns out 221Nm. The system puts out a total of 236hp. Surprisingly, fuel efficiency is also identical despite the difference in wheel and tire specs.

We finished the first leg of the drive with both RAV4s netting 21.3km/L. When we arrived at our last stop, both gauges read around 16km/L. The two units had been driven erratically and left idling for extended periods by then, so while not real-world results, these are still impressive figures with equally impressive consistency at that.

Our drive wasn’t too extensive, but 130km or so over a six-hour span was enough for me to understand that the all-new RAV4 is the most exciting hybrid Toyota I have ever driven. With a starting price of P2.183 million, it undercuts the Honda CR-V Hybrid, the Subaru Forester e-Boxer, and the Mazda CX-5. And while it’ll take a proper Big Test to find out which is the best vehicle among the four, I honestly think the RAV4 is the best offering right now. It’s the complete package: It drives exceptionally well, has the best Toyota interior I’ve seen in a while, and sips gas as well as any hybrid does.

This is why in more ways than one, I think the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia

Chinese carmakers continue to up their game with new-age electrified vehicles, and with oil prices skyrocketing with no end in sight, fuel-efficiency has become more important than ever. Yes, an EV can solve that problem, but not everybody can afford an EV—whether it’s because of prohibitive costs or the lack of charging infrastructure. The most ideal option for most is still a petrol-powered car that won’t come with hefty gas bills, and that need is what the Chinese brands have been capitalizing on.

Other automakers have been unable to weather this storm, but the world’s biggest carmaker has maintained its foothold at the top by asserting its hybrid mastery in different segments of the market. And with the all-new RAV4’s arrival, Toyota will only be reestablishing its position at the top of the compact SUV segment.