The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is many things to many people, but an off-road-ready rugged SUV is probably not one of them.
And while the new Woodland special edition – just revealed in the USA – is unlikely to entirely change that, the new and more capable RAV4 Hybrid special edition will certainly take you further off the beaten path than you might expect.
Among a host of 2023 changes (most of which occur in the cabin technology department), the Woodland also gets unique 18-inch bronze alloys wrapped in All-Terrain rubber, along with TRD-tuned suspension, including off-road-ready springs and stops for better comfort in off-road conditions.
Outside, there are mud guards, roof rack bars, blacked-out exhaust tips, while inside, there’s easy-clean flooring and a power source in the boot for when you’re camping.
Other changes for the 2023 model year – which are yet to be confirmed by Toyota in Australia but are expected to flow to our vehicles – include a pretty comprehensive cabin tech upgrade, with new 8.0- or 10.-5 inch screens with dual-bluetooth connections, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the introduction of USB-C charge ports. Drivers can also make use of a a 7.0-inch or 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
Also new is Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which includes an upgraded pre-collision system which can now “detect an oncoming vehicle or a pedestrian at intersections when making a turn.” There’s also Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Lane Tracing Assist “designed to assist the driver by providing a slight steering force to help centre the vehicle in its lane using visible lane markers or a preceding vehicle.”
Powertrain options are unchanged in this update, with the updated RAV4 expected to land in Australia in the second half of this year.
Keyword: 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid detailed! Major cabin technology and safety upgrades coming soon as rugged off-road model surfaces