Having a Toyota RAV4 XSE Hybrid AWD for a weekend, we decided to put its byways credentials to the test, rather than any real off roading.

Having said that, our sister magazine NZ4WD has shown in the past that the off-road abilities of an AWD SUV are probably mainly limited by the driver’’s experience and confidence rather than the vehicle’s abilities!

Our road trip took us up the East Coast north of Auckland through Matakana, Leigh, Pakiri and Te Arai. From Pakiri, a significant part of the trip was on gravel roads that ranged from narrow and rugged to almost highway standard (if unsealed!).

We also ventured down a few tracks and boat ramps. This area gives access to a host of activities including boating, fishing, diving, surfing and horse riding plus some nice eateries like the Leigh Sawmill Cafe.

The RAV4 handled the unsealed roads with aplomb, although we did find it was better to turn the Traction Control and ABS off as the ABS and gravel roads did not mix well, using good driver sensitivity on the brakes felt a lot better. The RAV was very stable on these roads, the suspension handled the rougher parts well and the cabin dust sealing was up to the task.

On the sealed roads the RAV4 was a joy to drive, with a mix of good power delivery, handling and braking making it a very relaxing car to drive even on rugged backroads.

Let’s have a bit of a look at the XSE model.

This is a new model introduced recently to sit between the GXL and Limited models. It gets some nice creature comforts such as powered and heated front seats and the larger 7.2-inch multi-information instrument display. It also scores two tone paint along with some unique black accenting.

All the hybrid models share the same engine and drivetrain, which features a 2.5-litre petrol engine with 131kW of power and 221Nm of torque for the petrol engine and total power – including the electric hybrid motor – of 163kW.

The hybrid battery is Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) and the AWD system is Toyota’s E-Four All Wheel Drive, where the front drive is from the engine and the rear from a second electric motor at the back all driven via a CVT transmission.

The hybrid system is very unobtrusive, with the only real indication being the uncanny silence when you press the start button. The engine performs strongly with good power available throughout the range, making the RAV4 flexible and easy to drive.

Claimed fuel consumption is 4.8 l/100km for combined city and highway driving. Our trip was not ideal to test the fuel consumption for a hybrid, with nearly all the running on the open road – including a return trip to Tauranga plus the coastal exploration – with minimal time on the city streets where a hybrid will usually shine. Even with this adverse use, we still saw a credible 6.0 l/100km.

The RAV4 feels spacious inside with plenty of leg room both front and rear and a generous load space – eschewing the tendency for some more recent SUV’s to go with sloping rear doors which compromise load carrying.

Seats are comfortable and have good support and the ergonomics are up to Toyota’s usual high standards. The Multi-Function screen sits high on the dash and is easy to both view and use and the CarPlay integration worked well.

RAV4 is one of the top picks in the medium SUV market with the option of hybrid power and the overall roominess allied with Toyota quality.