Toyota continues to expand its range, adding a more dynamic “GR Sport” finish. The Rav4, the world’s best-selling SUV, has now been given this finish. So, is it really more sporty? It would seem that only the plumage is more evocative. As for the rest…

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Contents

1. Test Drive – Toyota Rav4 GR Sport (2023): the clothes don’t make the man

2. Toyota Rav4 GR Sport (2023) – Equipment: it’s full on

3. Toyota Rav4 GR Sport (2023) – The competition, the overall score, the price

4. Toyota Rav4 GR Sport (2023) – Evaluation in the category: 37 criteria analysed and rated

5. Toyota Rav4 GR Sport (2023) – Key technical data

It’s Toyota’s darling. The Rav4 is the prodigal son, even prodigy, and was the best-selling SUV in the world in 2022. It therefore benefits from all the attention, and its range is enriched at the dawn of the year 2023 by a new finish with dynamic ambitions, the GR Sport.

This is a far cry from the Japanese manufacturer’s truly sporty models, such as the GR86 or the GR Yaris. No, the principle here is to do as Audi did with its S-Line, Volkswagen with its R-Line, Peugeot with its GT-Line or Renault with its “Esprit Alpine” finishes: to give a sporty look, without touching either the engines or the chassis (or else in a subtle way).

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This is exactly what guided the design of this GR Sport version. It has its own styling details that give it a more energetic look, such as a more pronounced 3D honeycomb patterned ‘G-mesh’ grille, which is echoed in the fog lamps, which themselves have a more pronounced ‘boomerang’ look. The bottom of the bumper has a dark grey ski instead of silver, and all the raw plastics are lacquered black. This is not specific to the Rav4 GR Sport by the way, as all 2023 models adopt this new look.

At the rear, the window and the lights are highlighted by a black lacquered insert and the lower part of the bumper also has a dark grey insert and a honeycomb design.

The final touch is the special 19-inch wheels, which have very fine diamond-cut spokes that create lines that follow their contours, and GR Sport badges on the grille and tailgate. So much for the exterior.

Subtly revised cabin

Inside, the details are subtle. The atmosphere is darker, with darker inserts, synthetic leather/alcantara seats with GR Sport embossing on the headrest, grey stitching and a GR Sport logo on the steering wheel, which is also found on the floor mats. And that’s where the special features end, as the configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.5-inch multimedia screen with its new Smart Connect system are found on all 2023 Rav4s. The latter is more pleasant to use than the old system, smoother, with better definition and more modern graphics. The VW, Mercedes, BMW or Stellantis systems are even more pleasant.

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But in GR Sport, there is ‘Sport’. Have the engineers reworked the chassis and engine of this version? Yes, for the former, but in detail. For example, the stiffness of the suspension springs has been increased by 7% at the front (from 28 to 30 N/mm) and by 15% at the rear (40 to 46 N/mm), while the shock absorbers have been adapted to this new setting.

A strictly identical hybrid block

And that’s it. Because on the engine side, not a single horsepower or Nm more. The single hybrid block, the only one available with this new finish, is still the 4-cylinder 2.5 Atkinson cycle A25A-FXS, developing 178 bhp and coupled to 2 electric motors, one on each axle, as we are in the presence of the AWD-i version, therefore 4 wheel drive, the only choice possible. The torque remains at 221 Nm, and the cumulated power at 222 hp. We wouldn’t have spared a few extra horses, even if the performance is already sufficient, with a 0 to 100 in 8.4 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 180 km/h. The competition is barely better (1 tenth less the 0 to 100 km/h for a Hyundai Tucson hybrid 230 hp, for example).

The CO2 emissions are 132 grams per km, which is worth a negligible €240, while the same Tucson hybrid used as an example is 146 grams/km, i.e. a €1,074 penalty.

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Volant en main, que donne ce Rav4 à la sauce Gazoo Racing ? Eh bien, il nous a été difficile de le découvrir véritablement. En effet, les essais organisés en Suède, sur des routes enneigées, avec des autos dotées de pneus cloutés pour l’occasion, n’ont pas permis de se trouver dans des conditions de conduite habituelles. Dommage, très dommage.

Mais nous avons pu en tirer tout de même plusieurs enseignements. Premièrement, rien de mieux que des pneus cloutés pour rouler sur la neige, c’est bluffant d’efficacité et ça permet de rouler “presque” comme d’habitude sur le bitume. Mais ça, c’est pour le clin d’œil.

Toujours aussi confortable, mais un peu mieux tenu

Ensuite, nous avons pu constater que l’amortissement plus raide ne grève en rien le confort. Les différences avec le Rav4 classique sont assez ténues, mais il est effectivement un peu moins souple, ce qui est mieux, car il gagne un peu en maintien de caisse, sans devenir inconfortable pour autant.

Côté direction et maniabilité, rien à signaler, ce SUV est assez agile, avec un diamètre de braquage intéressant de 11,8 m entre murs, et une bonne précision de conduite.

The 222 hp of the hybrid block are not too much “eaten” by the epicyclic gearbox, which has been greatly improved with time. Yes, the mill effect is still present on very strong accelerations, but in normal driving, and thanks also to good soundproofing, it is silent. However, the responsiveness of the system is not exceptional. You can use the lever to change the preset gears in manual mode, but it’s a bit of a gimmick.

The 4×4 AWD-i transmission has been put to the test and is very responsive. The electronically controlled transmission can shift from 100 percent power and torque to the front axle to a 20 percent front to 80 percent rear split. The absence of a driveshaft increases responsiveness and eliminates the need for a transmission tunnel that compromises rear-seat space. It is indeed discreet. The differentials can be locked using the “Trail” button on the centre console.

The ESP can be deactivated, but comes back into play automatically at around 30 km/h. It intervenes smoothly and efficiently, but it’s frustrating when you want to be able to take advantage of the large frozen sea surfaces to do some tricks… Arf, we are to be pitied, don’t you think?

As for the average consumption, impossible to define seriously. Given the freezing temperatures, the incessant stops, the bold accelerations to try to define where the limits of the studded tyres were, we obtained an unconvincing average of 7.8 litres/100 km after about 180 km of snowy roads. Far from the official 5.9 litres though.

Habitable and very well equipped, fortunately

For the rest, the Rav4 GR Sport is a Rav4, with its rigorous presentation and decent quality of finish. Nice, well assembled materials at the top of the dashboard, lower-end plastics at the bottom, like all the generalist competition. Rear seat space is king with plenty of knee room and width, while with 580 litres of boot space, there’s plenty of room for the whole family. That said, the Tucson and Sportage do better with 616 and 587 litres respectively, despite being 10cm shorter in length. Their rear seats are narrower, which explains this.

The equipment of this dynamic finish is in any case complete. Perhaps all that’s missing is Level 2 autonomous driving to match the best, because with emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, including at night, active lane departure warning, sign reading, adaptive cruise control, rear traffic warning with braking function, 360° cameras, blind spot warning, LED headlights, heated seats, keyless entry and start, 9 HP JBL audio system, induction charging for smartphones, Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity, dual-zone climate control, power seats, “hey Toyota” voice recognition, 100% configurable digital instrumentation, 10.5″ multimedia touchscreen with navigation, 19″ wheels, it seems to us that there is nothing missing.

And it’s even better when you see the price of this new car, which is €54,950! An ambitious price, especially when compared to the competition (see dedicated page). Of course, everything is included, including the look, but the price of a simple hybrid SUV is getting expensive. At Hyundai and Kia, for the same price, you can find a rechargeable hybrid…