Car of the Year: Toyota RAV4 hybrid triumphs
It was technology that started out on the fringe and found itself the butt of jokes. But two decades later, it’s helped land one car a major accolade.
Motoring
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motoring. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It’s taken almost two decades but hybrid engine technology has finally become mainstream.
Toyota’s petrol-electric RAV4 has been crowned News Corp Australia’s Car of the Year, marking the first time a hybrid vehicle has won the major prize in the 23-year history of the award.
The popular family SUV is a far cry from the oddball Toyota Prius that turned heads at the beginning of this century.
The original Prius was an expensive curiosity, lampooned by the likes of South Park, whose characters joked it was “a leading cause of smug”.
In contrast, the RAV4 hybrid has proved a sales hit since its launch in May this year.
OPINION: Finally there’s a hybrid car Australians will want to own
National motoring editor and chief judge Richard Blackburn said the RAV4 “could become a watershed car for the industry”.
“It’s the first SUV to offer hybrid tech at an affordable price,” he said.
“It’s guilt-free family motoring — saving the planet without breaking the bank”.
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid overtook Mazda’s CX-5 to become Australia’s best-selling SUV following its launch in May, attracting thousands of sales as motorists turned their backs on conventional sedans and hatchbacks.
It also topped our online reader poll, emerging as the people’s choice ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton and Mazda3.
About 60 per cent of RAV4 buyers ordered the hybrid model and Toyota — which now sells seven hybrid models — predicts it will sell about 40,000 petrol-electric cars next year.
The RAV4 is the first time Toyota has fitted a hybrid engine to an SUV, which is the default choice for family buyers.
It’s also affordable. The hybrid version only costs $2500 more than the standard petrol model but uses roughly half the fuel in city driving, paying itself off within the first three years of ownership for urban drivers.
The new car is a smash hit, attracting waiting lists of up to six months as people queue to collect a model that ticks several boxes.
MORE MOTORING NEWS:
Australia’s best new cars revealed
Mass recall: another 80,000 cars
Influencer’s $2 million supercar ruined
First-class safety credentials and a spacious, practical cabin sealed the deal for the RAV4 after an exhaustive eight-week assessment program across seven vehicle categories.
Other category winners were the Mazda3, BMW 3 Series, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota Supra and Mitsubishi Triton.
Electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf and Jaguar I-Pace were considered by the judges, but were hamstrung by higher prices and compromised range.
Second place went to BMW’s new 3 Series, heralded as a brilliant return to form by the luxury brand.
The Toyota Supra sports coupe built in conjunction with BMW took third place.
SEE TODAY’S MOTORING LIFTOUT FOR MORE CAR OF THE YEAR COVERAGE