Toyota has released the first picture of the 2021
RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, ahead of its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on
November 20th. The company didn’t say much about the model, but confirmed it will
become the “most powerful RAV4 yet.” Toyota wasn’t ready to reveal performance
specifications, but said the crossover will have “spirited acceleration, nimble
handling and impeccable style.”
Little is known about the model at this point, but
it’s expected to use the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that resides in
the RAV4 Hybrid. It produces 176 hp and 221 Nm of
torque.
The engine will be backed up by an electric motor
and a lithium-ion battery pack. The
latter is expected to be large enough to give the model an electric-only range
of approximately 48 km. There’s no word on how powerful the electric
motor will be, but the RAV4 PHEV should have a combined output in excess of 203
hp.
On the styling front there isn’t much to report as
the plug-in hybrid variant closely echoes the standard RAV4. However, it will
apparently be distinguished by a modified front bumper, plug-in hybrid badging
and vertical fog lights. Previous spy photos have also shown the crossover will
have a charging port mounted above the rear wheel on the passenger side.
We’ll learn more details next month, but the model
is certainly interesting as there’s been a lack of mainstream plug-in hybrid
crossovers with the notable exception of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
