The 2019 Toyota RAV4 marked the start of the nameplate’s fifth generation, coded XA50. Toyota unveiled it at the 2018 New York International Auto Show and put it on sale in the United States in late 2018. Rather than a mild facelift, the redesign moved the RAV4 onto Toyota’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) underpinnings, widened the body, extended the wheelbase and replaced the previous generation’s engines and transmissions. This article covers the verified specifications, fuel economy, pricing and release details for the 2019 model year.
What the 2019 RAV4 Actually Was
The RAV4 had existed as a compact crossover since 1994, and the 2019 car was its fifth distinct generation — not a new model year of the outgoing XA40. The fifth-generation RAV4 was announced in March 2018 and reached U.S. dealers before the end of that year as a 2019 model. It shared the GA-K platform family with the contemporary Camry, which is why the car grew in width and wheelbase while keeping a similar length. Buyers in the United States could still choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and Toyota continued to offer both conventional gasoline and hybrid versions.
Toyota said the new unibody chassis was substantially more rigid than the outgoing car and that the rear suspension remained a multi-link design, which the company tuned for better ride quality and reduced noise. The front suspension used MacPherson struts.
North America received two 2.5-liter Dynamic Force engines. The conventional model used Toyota’s Direct Shift eight-speed automatic, while the hybrid paired the gasoline engine with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT).
Exterior Design
The 2019 RAV4 adopted a squarer, more truck-like look than its predecessor. Toyota measured the new body at 4,595 mm long, 1,854 mm wide and 1,699 mm tall with a 2,689 mm wheelbase, per paultan.org’s launch report — a 10 mm increase in width and a 30 mm-longer wheelbase over the previous car. In U.S. specification the RAV4 measured 180.9 inches long on a 105.9-inch wheelbase, with ground clearance of 8.4 to 8.6 inches and a curb weight between roughly 3,370 and 3,620 pounds, per Kelley Blue Book. The Adventure trim used slightly wider, taller bodywork and 19-inch wheels.
Toyota fitted the range with multi-LED headlights and LED tail lights as part of the redesign, and black plastic cladding ran along the lower edges of the doors and bumpers. A steeply raked C-pillar and a black strip behind it created the “floating roof” effect that distinguished the new model from the XA40.
Interior and Equipment
Inside, the 2019 RAV4 moved to a more horizontal dashboard layout with a raised center console and an electronic parking brake in place of the old handbrake. Depending on trim, Toyota offered a 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch multi-information display in the instrument cluster, a digital rear-view mirror, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and an 11-speaker JBL audio system. U.S. figures listed 41.0 inches of front legroom and 37.8 inches in the second row, with cargo volume of about 37.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats.
Engine and Performance
The standard engine in the 2019 RAV4 was a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder producing 203 hp at 6,600 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, according to Car and Driver’s specification sheet. A hybrid model combined the same 2.5-liter engine with an electric motor for a total system output of 219 hp, and the hybrid came with all-wheel drive as standard.
All-wheel-drive gasoline models could be ordered with Toyota’s Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive, which can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear axle and split it between the left and right rear wheels. The system also used ratchet-type dog clutches to disconnect the rear driveshaft when traction was not needed, cutting drag in normal driving. The hybrid instead used an electric rear motor, a system Toyota calls AWD-i.
Fuel Economy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rated the 2019 RAV4 as follows, according to fueleconomy.gov:
| Model | Engine | Drivetrain | EPA city / highway / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 | 2.5L I4, 8-speed auto | FWD | 26 / 35 / 30 mpg |
| RAV4 | 2.5L I4, 8-speed auto | AWD | 25 / 33 / 28 mpg |
| RAV4 Hybrid | 2.5L I4 hybrid, ECVT | AWD | 41 / 38 / 40 mpg |
The hybrid figures represented a large improvement over the previous-generation RAV4 Hybrid, which the EPA had rated at 34/30/32 mpg. Even the conventional front-wheel-drive model’s 30 mpg combined rating was up from the 25 mpg combined of the outgoing 2.5-liter XA40.
Trim Levels and Pricing
For 2019 Toyota sold the gasoline RAV4 in LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure and Limited trims, and the hybrid in LE, XLE, XSE and Limited trims. Starting prices before destination were $25,500 for the LE, $27,300 for the XLE, $29,500 for the XLE Premium, $32,900 for the Adventure and $33,500 for the Limited, per dealer and Cars.com listings. Towing capacity was 1,500 pounds on most gasoline trims and up to 3,500 pounds for the Adventure.
Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 was standard across the range, combining a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams and road sign assist.
Release Date and Summary
The 2019 RAV4 went on sale in the United States in late 2018, several months after its New York debut. It was the genuinely new fifth-generation car rather than a continuation of the previous model, and its hybrid was the first RAV4 to use all-wheel drive as standard. Readers looking at smaller alternatives can compare the 2019 Toyota Rush and the 2019 Toyota Rukus, or browse the Car Review index for related Toyota coverage.
