The 2019 Toyota RAV4 Limited Hybrid was the most heavily equipped version of an entirely new RAV4. The 2019 model year introduced the fifth-generation RAV4 on Toyota’s TNGA-K platform, and the hybrid paired a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with three electric motors for 219 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive and an EPA-estimated 40 mpg combined. The Limited grade added the most comfort and technology in the range.
A New Generation for 2019
Toyota unveiled the fifth-generation RAV4 at the 2018 New York International Auto Show on March 28, 2018. Gas models reached US dealers in December 2018, with the hybrid grades following in late March 2019. The RAV4 itself had first reached the United States in 1996 and had become Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in America and the country’s best-selling non-pickup. The hybrid variant, first introduced for the 2016 model year, was carried onto the new platform for 2019.
The new TNGA-K structure was 57 percent more rigid than the previous model, with a longer wheelbase, wider front and rear tracks and shorter overhangs. Toyota also switched to a rack-mounted electric power steering system, which it said improved turning response and reduced driver fatigue on long drives.
The RAV4 had grown into one of the most important vehicles in Toyota’s lineup. By the time the fifth generation launched, it was Toyota’s best-selling model in the United States and the best-selling non-pickup vehicle in the country, a position it had built since the original RAV4 arrived in 1996.
Hybrid Powertrain and Performance
The RAV4 Hybrid combined a 2.5-liter Dynamic Force Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, rated at 176 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque, with three electric motors: a front motor of 118 horsepower and 149 lb-ft and a rear motor of 54 horsepower and 89 lb-ft. Total system output was 219 horsepower, sent through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. Unlike the front-drive-only C-HR, the RAV4 Hybrid used its rear electric motor to drive the back wheels, so all-wheel drive was standard on every hybrid grade. A 1.6-kWh nickel-metal-hydride battery sat under the rear seat, so it did not reduce passenger or cargo space. Car and Driver measured a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.4 seconds.
The hybrid’s extra torque made it feel quicker than its gasoline sibling in everyday driving even though it weighed more, and Car and Driver found it noticeably quieter under full throttle. It was not a plug-in hybrid — the RAV4 Prime plug-in followed for 2021 — so it relied on the engine and regenerative braking to keep its small battery charged.
Fuel Economy
The EPA rated the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid at 41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined, compared with about 30 mpg combined for the front-wheel-drive gasoline RAV4 and 28 mpg combined for the all-wheel-drive gas version. Car and Driver observed 32 mpg in mixed driving and 37 mpg on its 75-mph highway test, roughly 9 mpg better than the standard RAV4 in the same conditions.
An EV mode allowed brief low-speed electric-only driving, and the hybrid’s regenerative brakes helped recover energy in stop-and-go traffic.
Interior and Equipment
The Limited was the top RAV4 Hybrid grade. It used Toyota’s Softex-trimmed seats, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, chrome-finished alloy wheels, puddle lights in the outside mirrors and a power liftgate. Multimedia came through Toyota’s Entune 3.0 system on an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, and a JBL premium audio system with 11 speakers was available. The Limited also offered a Bird’s Eye View camera with a 360-degree perimeter view.
A new “no-compromise” XSE grade joined the range for 2019, combining sporty styling with the hybrid powertrain and adding a stiffer suspension tune and unique trim. The hybrid was available in four grades: LE, XLE, XSE and Limited.
Exterior and Dimensions
The fifth-generation RAV4 adopted a bolder, more truck-like look with a chiseled grille and squarer wheel arches. The hybrid shared that body with the gasoline models but was not offered in the off-road-oriented Adventure trim. The 2019 RAV4 Hybrid measured 181.5 inches long, 73.4 inches wide and 67.0 inches tall on a 105.9-inch wheelbase, and it weighed about 3,821 pounds, roughly 156 pounds more than the equivalent gasoline model.
Toyota said the fifth-generation RAV4 was designed around the themes of “Adventure” and “Refined,” taking inspiration from Toyota’s trucks, particularly in the front-end and grille design.
Safety
Second-generation Toyota Safety Sense (TSS 2.0) was standard on every 2019 RAV4, including the hybrid. It added lane tracing assist and road sign assist to the existing pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control and automatic high beams. The RAV4 also came with eight airbags, a backup camera with a projected path and Toyota’s Star Safety System. Hybrid components, including the battery, were covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty.
The available dynamic torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system on gasoline models and the hybrid system’s electric rear axle both reflected Toyota’s effort to make the redesigned RAV4 more capable in poor weather and on light trails.
Pricing
For 2019, the RAV4 Hybrid range started at $27,850 for the LE, moving to $29,650 for the XLE, $33,850 for the new XSE and $35,850 for the Limited, according to Cars.com. Those figures exclude the destination charge; Car and Driver listed the Limited’s as-tested price at $40,160. Adding the hybrid powertrain to most trims cost about $2,200 over an equivalent gasoline RAV4.
Related Toyota Models
Related reading includes the 2019 Toyota C-HR Hybrid Redesign and Price and the 2019 Toyota Rav4 Release Date, Redesign and Price, or browse the Toyota Review archive.
