2022 Toyota TRD Off Road: What's New in 2022

Coming from the TRD ( Toyota Racing Development ) team, the Toyota RAV4's TRD Off Road version is mainly aimed at off-road enthusiasts, but also for those who tow a little more often. In this review, I am going to discuss what's new in the RAV4 TRD in the 2022 model year.

One of the purposes of the new generation Toyota RAV4 was to reconnect with its off-road spirit. Among its options, an Adventure version with a more rugged appearance and with some off-road qualities is already offered , but for true fans of off-road journeys, Toyota presents the definitive version: RAV4 TRD Off-Road .

The RAV4 TRD is a variant that increases its off-road capacity through preparations by Toyota Racing Development. It uses the RAV4 Adventure as a base. Therefore, in the RAV4 TRD you will find the same all-wheel drive system capable of sending up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels, and decide whether the torque should be sent to the left or right tire. It also retains the hill descent assistant and the Multi-Terrain Select program, with Mud & Sand, Rock & Dirt and Snow driving modes.

What's New in The 2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD

We are still in the fifth generation of the RAV4 and Toyota has introduced lots of interesting new options and updates in its 5th generation. And a few of them regard to the TRD trim.

In fact, the TRD trim itself was first introduced with the 5th generation of the RAV4. It is a product from 2019. But has small updates and improvements made for the 2022 model year as well.

One of the characteristics of the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road is the special suspension and 18-inch matte-black TRD alloy wheels with all-terrain tires.

However, a new color, called Calvary Blue made its way to the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Off-Road. In fact, the XSE grade also got this bold new color with a black roof. The 2022 TRD Off-Road that Torque News reviewed was the Calvary Blue with a white roof.

In fact, several trims of the 2022 RAV4 got a new color for their wheels, including the Adventure grade, which is closer to the TRD Off-Road, but the TRD Off-Road didn't get any color update for its wheels.

New for the 2022 RAV4 TRD Off-Road are the updated headlamps, which Toyota has installed both for style and for capability improvements. TRD got new LED foglamps

Another new update in the 2022 RAV4 TRD Off-Road is the locking glove box. The vehicle also has some cool new interior lamps, which Toyota has added to all grades. Also, new in the 2022 TRD Off-Road is the illuminated interior switches, which Toyota has installed in the grades above XLE (including XLE).

Not TRD Off-Road related, but a huge novelty in the 2022 model year of RAV: In the United States, a new hybrid variant with an intermediate level of equipment will be available. It is called SE Hybrid and includes fabric upholstery with contrast stitching, infotainment with a 7" screen and multiple driving aids. You can optionally carry the Weather and Convenience packages. See Torque News' full coverage about all the new changes in the 2022 RAV4.

RAV4 TRD Package and the Power

The RAV4 TRD Off-Road's main changes compared to the other trims of the RAV4, are to the suspension, set up to improve isolation from road bumps. The springs have been replaced with ones oriented to off-road conditions and the shock absorbers have special springs to improve rebound control. Tires are Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail, off-road rated.

There is nothing new on the mechanical side of the RAV4 TRD compared to the previous year. The engine is the same as in the entire range: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder block, capable of generating 203 hp. The set is operated through a nine-speed automatic transmission. There are three driving modes to choose from: Eco, Sport and Normal.

The combination gives it a towing capacity of 1,590 kg (3,500 lb), enough to haul your favorite toys to the cottage.

On board, we are mainly entitled to a more competent JBL audio system thanks to its 11 speakers and an integrated navigation system.

Connectivity has improved with the multimedia system that now includes Apple Car Play and Android Auto, in addition to excellent sound quality in this unit.

Speaking of the Multimedia system. When you drive at night, you may find the touchscreen of the 2022 RAV4 TRD to be extremely bright, to a degree that it may distract your driving. See Torque News Toyota reporter Harutiun Hareyan's coverage on how to easily dim the brightness of the touchscreen if you also like us, find it too bright.

At the level of comfort, we have multi-zone climate control, driver's seat with electrical adjustment, heated front seats, access and start with smart key, hands-free electric tailgate, full LED headlights, etc.

Also, among lots of technological offerings the TRD Off-Road has Toyota's latest suite of active safety equipment including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control and blind spot monitors

2022 RAV4 Rims, Pricing and MPG

The 2022 Toyota RAV4 is offered in six spectacular trim levels - LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, Limited, and TRD Off-Road. The least expensive grade is the RAV4 LE FWD grade, which Toyota in its press release offers at $26,525 MSRP. The most expensive trim is the RAV4 Prime XSE AWD, which Toyota offers at $43,125 MSRP. the TRD Off-Road AWD is offered $36,465 MSRP, somewhere in the middle of the lineup's range. However, the pricing of the RAV4 in your dealership may be slightly different considering the supply chain issues and the availability. So, please, check with your dealer regarding the more updated prices of the RAV4 in 2022.

The estimated fuel economy of the 2022 RAV4 TRD Off-Road is 25/32 city/highway and 30 combined MPG.

The Handling and Drive

Once again the 2022 Toyota Rav4 makes it clear that comfort and ease of use are its main virtues when judging its dynamic behavior during the drive. This 4WD version improves safety in low-grip conditions and will allow the driver a little more solvency when driving off the asphalt. If you want it to be all-terrain vehicle you need the TRD Off-Road, or at least the Adventure grade.

Easy to drive in the city due to its automatic transmission and good visibility, comfortable to travel on the highway and noble on secondary roads, the 2022 Rav4 4WD has a balanced behavior and is easy and pleasant to drive and very low stress.

The benefits are good and the Rav4 allows us to overtake safely and crown the mountain passes with relief even if we travel with the car loaded.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.

Reference: Autocasion, Toyota Pressroom.