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    Why is the RAV4's 2.5 litre engine more economical than the 2.0 litre?

    Toyota Toyota Advice Toyota RAV4 Toyota RAV4 Advice Toyota RAV4 2023

    Why is the 2.5-litre engine (4.8 litres per 100km) in the 2019-2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid more economical than the 2.0-litre (6.0 litres per 100km) engine?

    Answered by CarsGuide
    11 April 2024
    David Morley

    It all sounds a bit counter-intuitive, doesn’t it: That a smaller engine could use more fuel thana larger one? But, in fact, it’s all down to the hybrid driveline in the 2.5-litre version of the RAV4. Because the hybrid version also has an electric motor to help propel the vehicle, the petrol engine has less work to do. So, it uses less fuel, particularly on the official test cycle that determines these numbers.

    In fact, in the hybrid RAV4, the petrol engine isn’t even running a lot of the time, especially in stop-start traffic. The electric motor can draw from the batteries on board to get the vehicle rolling, and when it’s slowing down, the electric motor recharges those batteries for the next green light. And when the car is running on electric power, it’s not using any petrol at all.

    By contrast, the non-hybrid RAV4 is running its petrol engine the whole time (apart from when it’s at a complete standstill). And that, in a nutshell, is how a bigger engine can use less fuel than a smaller one in the same make and model.

    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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