The RAV4 is also a global model, and it is an old rival of the CR-V in all markets around the world, but its market performance has always been a bit different from that of the CR-V. RAV4 has just received a facelift in the Chinese market, and for the first time it has a Chinese name - Rongfang.
 
The most obvious change in the facelifted RAV4 is the 2.0L version of the engine, Toyota has replaced it with a new engine, but it is not the Camry's dual-injection 2.0L with "black technology", but only an upgraded version of the RAV4's original 2.0L engine. It has increased its horsepower to 111kW and torque to 192Nm, which is only 3kW and 5Nm more than the original, and is still mated to a CVT gearbox. The 2.5L version of Rongfang has 180 horsepower and 234 Nm of book data, which is certainly enough as a daily car power. But the actual power characteristics still give people a mediocre feeling.
 
The RAV4 before the facelift has serious shortcomings in terms of configuration, the body stability system that Chinese consumers care about very much, the very practical cruise control, keyless entry and one-button start and other functions are only available on the 2.0L top and 2.5L models, and the low and medium models are too low and not cost-effective. The facelifted RAV4 mainly fills in the gaps in the previous configuration. The Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system is finally standard on all models, and the hill start assist system and start-stop system have also been devolved to the lower-spec cars. Other very practical configurations such as automatic headlights, keyless entry one-button start, cruise control, automatic air conditioning, panoramic image, 7-inch screen multimedia system, in addition to the lowest configuration model, have also become standard, and the second lowest configuration of 199,800 yuan of fashion version, suddenly has the above configuration, become cost-effective.
 
On the contrary, the driving performance of the RAV4 is very much in line with the previous impression of Toyota: it always feels that the chassis is a little stiff and bumpy when driving, and the sound insulation is not good. In terms of driving comfort and luxury, it is not as good as the CRV and X-Trail, and it is only at the middle level in its class, and it is far from the excellent mechanical quality that the driver can feel all the time like the Mazda CX-5. Rongfang's smooth and easy to drive, space practicality, as a family car is not bad, but it is difficult to be particularly advantageous in a certain aspect.
 
The RAV4 is top-notch in terms of reliability, and like the CR-V, it has basically no high-risk failures, and the RAV4, which is more than 10 years old, still remains excellent in terms of reliability.
 
The RAV4 is also currently the IIHS's Top Safety (TSP) car, and it maintains an excellent rating in one of the world's toughest crash tests, and crash test scores in other regions can be ignored.
Toyota RAV4丨Rongfang evaluation report