Plug-in hybrid Toyota RAV4 charges into South Africa but…

The model that served as testbed for Toyota’s series hybrid onslaught in South Africa near the end of last year, along with the locally build Corolla Cross, the RAV4 has officially been confirmed as the pilot test vehicle for the marque’s first ever plug-in hybrid in the country.

Currently being trialed and therefore not available for purchasing, the plug-in hybrid debuted as long ago as the Los Angeles International Auto Show in 2019 under the RAV4 Prime designation.

The difference

Exhibited for the first time alongside the updated Corolla Hatch and Sedan this week, the Prime, which is unlikely to carry that moniker should local sales approval receive the green light, uses the mid-range GX-R as a base, but with certain specification items lifted from the top-spec VX.

Visually, the adaptions are easy to spot and comprises model specific snowflake-style 19-inch alloy wheels, a new front bumper with lower chrome detailing, a chrome numberplate cavity, model specific rear bumper, plug-in hybrid badges on the front wings and tailgate and a secondary flap hiding the charging outlet.

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Depending on the market, six bi-tone colour options are offered; Graphite Grey, Pearl White, Chromium Silver, Moonlight Ocean Metallic and Emotional Red, all contrasted by a gloss black roof.

Of the mentioned specification items is a nine-speaker JBL sound system, heated and cooled front seats, a model unique nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control and a digital rear-view.

Most powerful RAV4 ever made

Unsurprisingly though, the Prime’s powerunit takes centre stage as it combines the 2.5-litre hybrid unit from the recently revealed RAV4 E-Four with an 18.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack entrusted with driving the 134 kW and 40 kW electric motors mounted on the front and rear axles.

All-wheel-drive by default, the final system output is 225 kW, which represents an increase of 25 kW over the 3.5-litre V6 that powered the RAV4 from two generations ago in the United States and Australia.

Hooked to CVT, the system offers an electric only range of 80 km and be charged via two methods; a conventional 220-240-volt household resulting in a waiting time of between seven to nine hours, or a charger station using the 6.6 kW charger that cuts waiting time to 2.5 hours.

Unique to the Prime are four driving modes; HV for Hybrid Vehicle, self-explaining EV, Auto that switches between EV and HV automatically and Charging that uses the petrol to charge the battery.

A no-no for now

As mentioned, the RAV4 Prime is currently being tested for local market conditions with plans to offer it still being drawn-up.

Should approval be given though, expect a likely starting price of well above the R759 800 currently being asked by the E-Four VX Hybrid.