Toyota RAV4 2014- Review

Bengt Halvorson:

With last year's redesign, the Toyota RAV4 became better-equipped and more value oriented; but at the same time it lost some of the features that had made this model so popular in its last generation—like its optional V-6 and third-row seat.

Taken in perspective, the 2014 Toyota RAV4 leaves room for the larger Highlander, which had been squeezed upscale by the last RAV4, and it brings its bearings back firmly to the compact segment. But last year's redesign did bring some important new changes, in the way of updated transmission, better safety features, and updated safety gear. As it stands, the RAV4 is the middle-ground pick for pragmatists: with more room than the perky Ford Escape yet road manners that are just a little more alert than those in the Honda CR-V.

Last year's redesign purged one of the remaining vestiges of the RAV4's history: the tailgate-mounted spare. This year it's history, and the more hatchback-style flow and lower stance, pitch the RAV4 headlong into a lookalike bin filled with the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, even Mazda CX-5. Arguably, the RAV4 has a more carlike face than them all, but it doesn't pull off such a clean design in back as the CX-5. The taillamps er XT. are pointy and shelf out, all in the name of meeting safety regulations. Inside, there's some discord in the cockpit; this is a case in which the RAV4 limited and its many trims and surfaces leave us admiring the basic RAV4 LE's simplicity.

Once upon a time—just a couple of model years ago—there were V-6 models of the RAV4 that were surprisingly quick; but the current RAV4 gives up those chances of a transcendent upgrade in favor of a better ride and more carlike handling. There's only a 176-horsepower four-cylinder under the hood now, but the six-speed automatic with sport-shift mode saves it. Consider the 0-60 mph time of under nine seconds, and the RAV4 isn't quick, but it's quick enough for most family needs. The new RAV4 is responsive, although never sporty in the same way as a Ford Escape or Subaru Forester XT. Yet at the same time, the RAV4 rides lower, with well-weighted electric power steering and a good sense of center. All-wheel drive is just a $1,400 upgrade, and we like how the system works not only for inclement weather conditions but also for on-the-road handling. There isn't much of a range in the way the RAV4 rides and handles, but for a slightly better ride we'd stick with the 17-inch tires on LE and XLE versions.

The RAV4 didn't become significantly larger with last year's redesign, but smarter packaging made it more passenger-friendly. Base versions come with a cheaper upholstery and seats that are less supportive, while XLE versions include more firmly bolstered seats and nicer fabrics that we wish were standard across the board. The synthetic leather upholstery in Limited models looks great from a few feet away, but up close it looks shiny and cheap. Seating space in the RAV4 is about on par with the CR-V—definitely more generous than the Escape. But there are some flaws: The back bench is less supportive than adults will expect, and its flip/fold mechanism is one step shy on slickness, although cargo space is excellent. Limited versions get a power tailgate.

Safety ratings are top-notch for the most part, but the RAV4 has one unforgivable blemish: a 'Poor' rating in the new IIHS small overlap frontal test. Otherwise, the RAV4 ups its safety ante with eight standard airbags, including knee airbags. Bluetooth is also standard across the board; a rearview camera is also included, while Limited models include blind-spot monitors with cross-traffic alerts.

LE, XLE, and Limited models of the 2014 Toyota RAV4 are offered. At the base level, the RAV4 LE comes with power locks, windows, and mirrors; air conditioning; cruise control; tilt/telescoping steering; steering-wheel audio and phone controls; and an AM/FM/CD player controlled, through a 6.1-inch LCD touchscreen. We tend to think that the base RAV4 LE or mid-range XLE models are the best deal. The XLE adds dual-zone automatic climate control; a sunroof; and fog lights, to which the Limited adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Limited include a power driver seat and those 18-inch wheels.

Major options on the RAV4 include navigation on the XLE and Limited, with Entune app connectivity and satellite radio; and on the Limited, a JBL audio system with 576 watts of power and 11 speakers.Audio systems are noteworthy in the RAV4. For 2014, there are four different levels of Entune touch-screen audio, with the top two levels incorporating the App Suite—Bing for search; iHeartRadio and Pandora for audio streaming; MovieTickets.com, OpenTable®, and Yelp for going out; and real-time traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports and stocks.

The Toyota RAV4 has come a long way, evolving from what the niche activity vehicle that it originally was in the 1990s to what, for many buyers, is a primary family vehicle—a substitute for a mid-size sedan. Yet with a more limited lineup in this latest iteration of the RAV4, introduced last year, and redesigned versions of the Ford Escape and Subaru Forester arriving in the past couple of years, the competition is especially strong.

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover revealed ahead of Frankfurt motor show

 

Mercedes-Benz will show its new-for-2015 GLA -- its first-ever shot at the compact SUV class -- at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September. The GLA will arrive in U.S. showrooms in fall 2014.

The GLA is a sharp, muscular-looking little thing, measuring 173.9 inches long and 58.8 inches high. The little SUV, set to battle the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque, is the first Mercedes SUV available with the (optional) new-generation permanent all-wheel drive system (4MATIC) with fully variable torque distribution.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo four developing 208 hp and 258 lb ft of torque, good enough for a 6.4-second sprint to 60 mph. The engine is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Stop-start is standard. Suspension is McPherson struts in front and multilink rear. 18-inch wheels are standard, 19 inchers are optional.

Mercedes promises high-quality materials inside, with a heavy emphasis on horizontal surfacing and tight gaps. You can choose aluminum or wood trim.

Of course there is safety equipment galore, including what Benz calls Collision Prevention Assist Plus: If potential for an accident arises and the driver doesn't respond, the system will brake the car at speeds up to 124 mph. The system also brakes in response to stationary vehicles up to 18 mph, and can prevent rear-end collisions at speeds up to 12 mph. You'll also find blindspot and lane-keeping assist and optional park assist.

There is also a long list of infotainment features, including full smart-phone integration, internet connectivity, applications such as Facebook and Twitter, and street view on the nav system.

BMW i3, electric 3-series with 100-mile range

FRANKFURT, Germany - BMW AG is showing off the production model of its new i3 electric compact that uses carbon-fiber materials to keep the weight down and improve driving performance.

Chief executive Norbert Reithofer stressed at a Manhattan unveiling that the car was designed as an electric from the ground up. The i3 is "born electric," he said.

The company says the i3, built in Leipzig, Germany, will go from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. Its range is billed as 80-100 miles. Models with an optional range extender gas engine can go as far as 200 miles.

Toyota Emirates Drifting Team secures 2nd place in round 6 of Drift UAE

In the final round of this season’s Drift UAE held at Yas Marina Circuit, Toyota Emirates Drifting Team, represented by Ahmed Al Ameri, grabbed 2nd place after an amazing display of poise and tyre smoke in front of hundreds of UAE drifting fans.

Al Ameri describing his performance said, “Tonight’s competition was amazing and the fans’ continuous encouragement made it even greater. My practice runs were fantastic meaning I qualified in top position, with a large margin, and went directly to the semi-finals. An unavoidable error in the final round prevented me from getting the 1st place I was striving for but I’m delighted with 2nd position today and finishing 4th in the overall championship. Ending the season on a high note will definitely give Toyota EDT a push for the next season with our Toyota 86.”

THREE STUDENT TEAMS TO REPRESENT THE UAE IN F1 in SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 14th May 2013:  With less than six months to go until the 2013 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit was the scene of another F1 this week when it hosted more than 200 student competitors in the 5th annual F1 in Schools UAE National Finals presented by Mubadala.

Supported by parents, education officials and VIPs, competition between the 37 Senior and Junior teams was fierce as they went head to head in a bid to secure the title of UAE Professional Category Champions. As a result, three teams – ADROIT INFINITUM from The Indian High School in Dubai, Strike Automobiles from The School of Research Science in Dubai, and All-female Emirati team Popcom from Al Shohub School for Girls in Abu Dhabi – of the UAE’s best and brightest will represent the country in the F1 in Schools World Finals in Austin, Texas later this year.
Abdulla Al Shammari, F1 in Schools Manager at Yas Marina Circuit said the competition highlighted both the level of talent of UAE students as well as its growing Formula One fan base:

“Every student here today at the F1 in Schools National Final is a champion. If the dedication, passion of the students, and the quality of the work on display here today is any indication, the future of F1 and motorsport in the UAE is very bright.”
The two-day competition saw teams participate in a series of competitions that included team presentations, a team pit stop display, and head to head racing. At the end of the day, ADROIT INFINITUM, a team from The Indian High School in Dubai, was named the UAE Professional Category Champions 2013.  In addition to the overall champion title, the team won Best Engineered Car but it was another team from The Indian High School, VELOX, who earned the Fastest Car Award.
ADROIT INFINITUM’s Team Manager Malvikha Manog said the team was thrilled to be able to represent the UAE later this year at the F1 in Schools World Finals. “This is supposed to be our last year to participate as a student as we are going to grade 12, a very important educational year for us. We are so happy that we did it and we won! The feeling is great for all of us.”Malathy Mansingh, the F1 coordinator and supervisor of the technology department at the Indian High School in Dubai, said the school started participating in 2010 and have represented the UAE in the World Finals previously: “The kids, through this programme, learn a lot of life skills: team spirit, problem solving and learning how to take the loss and the win equally. I see the students that are involved in this program become so mature and I can argue that they can run their own business and more importantly they enjoy learning.”
Ruba Al Attas, the 16-year-old Finance Manager for Team Popcom confirmed the value of participating in F1 in Schools. “F1 in Schools is a great experience. It’s a learning experience,” she said.
Taking top spot in the F1 Junior Challenge 2013 Competition was Blazing Flames from Al Yasmina School, Abu Dhabi. The team was very excited about their win. “My heart was beating so fast during the competition,” said 10-year-old team member Hindh Imad. “It feels really good to win,” added team captain Riley Forbes.
Since 2010, more than 2,500 UAE students have participated in the F1 in Schools programme in the UAE. The programme aims to introduce engineering into the classroom through the excitement of F1 racing sees student teams develop and build all aspects of an F1 team. In addition to designing, building and racing small scale F1 cars, the teams are also tasked with designing a team identity, collateral and uniforms as well as securing sponsorships and marketing their teams.
Members of the Professional Category Champions 2013 team, Ardroit Infinitum, Indian High School Dubai.  Malvikha Manoj - Team Manager, Radhika Gupta - Marketing Manager, Mohamed Nassif - Manufacturing Engineer, Dhruv Kapoor - Design Engineer, Rahul Gupta - Graphic Designer and Jonathan Paulson, Resource Manager Supervising Teacher is Ms Malathy Mansingh.