The New Toyota RAV4 and Urban Cruiser Bring the Electric Feels

In the face of automotive brands introducing New Energy Vehicles, Toyota has often been on the receiving end of criticism about its approach to electrification. But one look at the lineup that Toyota Motor Philippines fielded at their Go Electrified media drive in Pampanga last March 17 to 18 and you can’t help but think the naysayers couldn’t be more wrong.

Starting from the humble Ativ and Yaris Cross HEVs to the fully electric tandem of the bZ4X and the newly unveiled Urban Cruiser, the Japanese giant flexed its muscles by reminding us that it already has more electrified vehicle models than other brands have vehicle models period.

That’s not even counting all the sleek Lexus hybrids and EVs that came along for the ride, not to mention the granddaddy of them all, the one that arguably started the trend of more sustainable mobility—the groundbreaking Prius.

ALSO READ

Yes, Toyota Just Launched Its First-Ever Battery Electric Vehicle

Toyota Still Dominates the Search Bar in the Philippines, and the Rest of the World

Despite the assembled participants praying to be assigned the Lexus LM with its massage seats and actual chauffeur (!) for one of the many car swaps, the undoubted stars of the drive were the pair of sixth-generation RAV4s.

The all-new SUV comes exclusively with a 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain that puts out a very healthy 239PS and 221Nm of torque, the second number being a usual victim of Toyota’s reticence to provide an actual “total system max torque” number. Floor it and the RAV4 chucks power to all four corners via its EFour AWD system and charges forward with sure-footed confidence. Fuel economy after all those highway shenanigans read north of 23km per liter and stayed at a respectable 14km per liter after hours of sitting pretty for pictures. A full-spec all-wheel drive SUV that doesn’t make you cringe at the pump is finally a reality.

At a standstill, the RAV4 turns heads in two very distinct ways: the Adventure spec retails for P2.183 million and loses a few features (smaller sunroof, less expressive DRLs, the usual sacrificial bits and bobs in the interior) in exchange for a buff front fascia and a smaller yet very appealing set of 18-inch six-spoke wheels.

The Limited spec comes in at P2.514 million and has a sharp set of 20-inch two-tone alloys, a borderline Lexus-esque grille treatment, and loses the brusque roof rails and overfenders–which we actually missed at first glance.

Inside, it makes up the balance by adding in amenities like a heads-up display, doubling the wireless chargers, and finishing the seats in natural rather than synthetic leather.

Pulling up alongside the RAV4 was the smaller but no less important Urban Cruiser.

The Urban Cruiser, which is Toyota’s second ever Battery Electric Vehicle, is the brand’s first real shot at a mainstream BEV. Let’s get the not-so-mainstream price out of the way first: P2.135 million.

Toyota chose to spec this out as a single, loaded variant: 475km of all-electric range, a moon roof, a 10-inch display, 9 JBL speakers, 18-inch wheels with non-budget width 225mm tires, independent rear suspension, and full Toyota Safety Sense. A home charger with free installation is also part of the perks, along with charging at certain Toyota dealerships.

Basically, the only thing that doesn't feel like you just paid P2 million for is the size of the Urban Cruiser. It may have its bigger siblings’ hammerhead styling that makes it look a bit chunky, but stand next to it (or get in the backseat) and you’ll be reminded why this has Urban in the name.

Behind the wheel for tight provincial roads and inner city driving, it has the satisfying feel of a true city car–effortless to maneuver, quick to react, pleasingly quiet, the electric kick to overtake tricycles on demand. A lot of physical buttons make the EV experience less alien, too.

At pace, noticeable wind noise and tire roar take over plus involuntary head-bobbing when the roads start to suffer from diverted funding, which are typical small car problems (electric or not) but it will make you think about just going for a bigger ride if your use case calls for it.

In case you're wondering, we didn’t get to sample the RAV4 for as long a stint so consider us stuck in the honeymoon phase with that one.

So confident was Team Toyota in their new vehicles, that aside from a short pre-drive briefing and Q&A, they basically let us off the chain with map pins, suggested ETAs, and proceeded to not tell us anything about the cars for the rest of the trip.

And the feeling of getting hands on with these two all-new models? Definitely electric.