Toyota’s popular RAV4 compact crossover showed off its brawnier side at the Chicago Auto Show.
Arriving for 2018 as the RAV4 Adventure, the new model will feature a taller ride height along with a Tow Prep Package with upgraded radiator and engine/transmission coolers. Those might not be immediately evident, but more obvious will be the Adventure’s fender flares, 18-inch black alloy wheels, lower-body guards, black trim, and (in case all of that isn’t obvious enough) Adventure badging. Inside, it will be fitted with unique trim panels, leather-wrapped shift knob, 120-volt/100-watt power outlet, and “Adventure”-branded door-sill protectors and floor mats. Along with other select RAV4 models, the Adventure will make available a new Cold Weather Package that includes heated fabric front seats, heated steering wheel, and wiper de-icers when it goes on sale in September 2017.
CG Says:
Toyota didn’t reveal what the towing capacity of the Adventure would be – or how much higher it was than that of a “regular” RAV4 (which for 2017 maxes out at 1500 lbs, or 1750 for the Hybrid) – but that and the higher ride height are meaningful “brawny” measures that make an already-good crossover even more attractive.
