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It’s What's Inside That Counts Toyota has moved the Revo SR up the luxury scale by adding two-tone perforated leather seats as standard. Though not entirely comfortable on long journeys, this is the best cow hide to ever grace the interior of an AUV. The RAV4-style, fat three-spoke leather steering wheel combined with the metallic center console and air-conditioning vents provides some ample sporty flair. Beyond the funky new CD/VCD player, dual 5.6-inch LCD monitors, and all power amenities, the real highlight of the interior is the flexibility. The front bench now offers an arm rest with dual cup holders, while the second row can now slide, recline and fold in a 60/40 ratio. A common feature in European cars, this can create additional room for luggage by merely flipping over a section of the seat. This increases load lugging without sacrificing much of the passenger hauling. But It’s Still An AUV For all of Toyota’s improvements and fine-tuning, the Revo SR, still remains an AUV at heart. Like its truck based competition, it suffers greatly from poor mechanical refinement when compared to a passenger car. The gasoline-fed 1.8-liter OHV inline-4 is gruff and boomy. Though generating a considerable 94 hp, it fails to push the 1435-kilogram SR with any considerable ease; mated to a hard-shifting four-speed automatic makes for a less than desirable experience. Mileage is unexceptional, managing 8.12 kilometers per liter. Beyond the insipid engine and transmission combination, the Revo is a pleasant surprise with its nimble and predictable handling and more-than-adequate brakes. However, it’s worth noting that the steering is a bit flabby, but has less of the center dead-zone when compared to its rivals. The SR rides surprisingly well, given that it’s riding on a rudimentary Double Wishbone / Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs set-up. Nonetheless, because of the body-on-frame nature of the AUV, it easily suffers from minor squeaks even if the odometer barely reads a thousand km. Moreover, tire and wind noise (particularly from the exterior mirrors) is obtrusive even if traveling below 60 km/h. |
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