Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: SUV becomes successful hybrid – International Business Times Italy

Toyota, along with the luxury brand Lexus (HERE Article on the Lexus RX), is a great protagonist at the New York International Auto Show 2015. At the fair, the Japanese American presented a green version of one of its major topics : the RAV4 SUV. It was back in 1994 as Toyota introduced the first iteration of RAV4 ( R ecreational ctive V ehicle to 4 wheels drive) at Geneva.

That year, Toyota sold 53,000 units and, since then, RAV4 has never stopped growing, generation after generation. Today the RAV4 sold worldwide have exceeded the threshold of 5 million, last year RAV4 was among the top 20 best-selling cars in the world (Statistics compiled by focus2move, complete list available at: http://focus2move.com/best-selling-cars-in-the-world) , and in Italy, the year of its introduction, have been put on the road about 190,000 units, many of which still in circulation.

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But in DNA Toyota is the desire to continually improve its products and so at the New York International Auto Show 2015, the Japanese company has RAV Hybrid, a car that combines the features of the model with the know-how in Toyota Hybrid engine.

RAV4 Hybrid is the step forward made by Toyota in ‘”hybridization” of the range, combining a 2.5 petrol engine to a Hybrid , to obtain power, style and ease of driving combined with the advantages of low emissions. Thanks to an additional electric motor on the rear axle, the electronic transmission All Wheel Drive (AWD) provides more traction and stability in the most demanding driving conditions. In addition to the novelty of the hybrid engine, the new RAV4 is characterized by an updated, improved internal and technological equipment and security increased.

The front now incorporates new projectors Bi-LED The profile has been improved, thanks to the adoption of new inserts that give the vehicle a more curvy. The LED taillights have been redesigned to give the car a more elegant, pleasing even the new bumper design.

The interior features a new instrument panel where stands a screen full color TFT. Even the technological equipment have been significantly enhanced with the adoption of the Panoramic View Monitor with 360 ° . The system supports the driver in maneuvering, providing a 360 ° view of all that surrounds the vehicle, displaying the obstacles that are in the so-called “blind spot” and that would not be detected by a rear camera and / or conventional front. The Security is a confirmation of the highest priorities for Toyota. The new RAV4 in fact benefit from significant improvements in terms of Active and Passive Safety, combined in Toyota Safety Sense premiere in Geneva and that we will also see in the Lexus RX, which combines:

• Pre-Crash System (PCS), which helps to prevent and reduce accidents, detecting any sudden braking by cars above;

• Lane Departure Alert (LDA) that signals, thanks to an audible alarm, any deviations from the car lane;

• ‘s Auto High Beam (AHB) which ensures perfect visibility driving at night;

• Road Sign Assist (RSA), which through a camera on the front of the vehicle detects the speed limits and road signs showing them on the color display of the instrument panel.

In addition to these specifications, the new RAV4 is also equipped dell ‘ Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which helps the driver maintain a safe distance from the car in front, determining their speed and adjusting accordingly to RAV4.