Toyota RAV4 vs Chinese Rival GAC GS4: Head-to-Head Comparison
«Normal foreign cars» have become our phantom pain: for the last four years, we«ve been comparing Chinese cars only with fading memories of real Toyotas and Škodas. And sometimes it»s not even clear whether the «Chinese» have improved so much or if our expectations have dropped. But what if we compare them head-on? We devoted one extremely frosty day to understanding how appropriate such parallels are: will the «Chinese» lose outright or still put up a fight? Let«s clarify that speculating about reliability in such a test is impossible, so here we»ll award Toyota a default victory: its years of leadership in various rankings must count for something. But what about everything else?
The fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 was produced in St. Petersburg until 2022 and was known not only as one of the most popular crossovers but also the most authoritative. Now such cars are mostly imported from China, where they are assembled at FAW and GAC plants. And GAC is precisely the second contender: the GS4 crossover debuted in its home country in 2024, and in Russia a year later. Unlike Chery, Geely, or Haval, the GAC brand is not as well-known to Russians, but its ambitions are felt: last year, it significantly rose in the sales rankings with over 18,000 cars sold. Most importantly, GAC is among the contenders for Russian localization in the same St. Petersburg, but at a different plant, where Solaris was previously produced, and before that, Hyundai.
Is there a noticeable difference in schools when switching from GAC to Toyota and back? No more than if switching from Toyota to Hyundai or Opel. The cars are different but generally close, from the same era, so there«s no culture shock. There are differences in nuances, for example, the Toyota interior is old-fashioned, but it definitely wins in ergonomics. Yes, the Toyota has lower resolution on the central display and a simpler digital instrument panel, but seating, visibility, and convenience of climate control—all are on Toyota»s side. For instance, in the GAC, the right mirror «sticks» to the A-pillar, blocking a significant viewing angle. In the Toyota, there«s a triangular window in that spot, which greatly aids orientation.
However, it wasn«t a one-sided game, and GAC decisively defeated Toyota in dynamic disciplines. Both cars have 2.0-liter engines, but the Toyota unit M20D-FKS is naturally aspirated, while the GAC GS4 has a turbocharged one. In the times of St. Petersburg-made RAV4s, their engine produced 149 hp; in our version, it develops 171 hp, but the GS4 is much more powerful—231 hp. And the difference in torque is even more noticeable, 206 Nm vs. 380 Nm, with the GAC»s available across a wide rpm range. The transmissions of both contenders are from the Japanese company Aisin, but different. The Toyota has a CVT with a first mechanical gear: up to about 40–50 km/h, the CVT unit doesn«t work, and torque is transmitted through a gear train. The GAC has a modern eight-speed automatic. And the difference in technical level is very noticeable.
The capabilities of the 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine for the RAV4 are, if sufficient, at the lower limit of expectations. During intense acceleration, you feel the moment when the transmission shifts with a slight jolt from the mechanical gear to the CVT, after which the revs are held at ringing frequencies, and acceleration seems dull and strained. No, this isn«t an energy drink; it»s more like a «lavender latte.» The GAC more resembles a strong spirit: less sound drama, more acceleration, and the dynamics themselves are dense and predictable, partly due to the more expensive transmission. The all-wheel drive on both cars works more or less the same, and on slippery surfaces, starts are confident without excessive wheel spin. But the higher the speed, the zippier the GAC seems.
We didn«t compare handling in detail so as not to unsettle the Toyota owner. From past tests, I remember that the RAV4 didn»t particularly shine in active steering. The GAC isn«t a sports car either and doesn»t have a pronounced driver-centric character, but on icy roads, its chassis impressed with good balance. When entering a turn quickly, it predictably slides with the front axle, but if you brake harder and then get on the gas earlier, the rear axle comes into play, and the GAC resiliently traces trajectories, sliding on all four wheels—even thrillingly!
In terms of ride comfort, it«s roughly a draw. At first, I thought the GAC was slightly more comfortable on rough roads, but the cars are close, and sensations depend on the specific type of surface: in some places, the Toyota seems a bit more refined, in others, the GAC. The suspensions of both cars aren»t stiff, but they telegraph the road conditions. For noise insulation, it«s also neck and neck. In the Toyota, the engine seems intrusive, exacerbated by the CVT»s work, which pushes it into high revs during acceleration. In the GAC, the engine sounds more modest, but the traditional problem for Chinese cars of weak wheel arch insulation manifests: you hear both the tires and the sandblasting of small stones.
In practicality, the cars are close, but still a slight advantage is on the GAC GS4«s side: its rear seats are more spacious and the trunk is more capacious. But the GAC is let down by strange cost-cutting on small details: there»s no armrest in the rear row, and in the trunk, there«s no shelf.
Now for the sore point—prices. The GAC GS4 in the base version has a 1.5-liter turbo engine (170 hp), a robotized transmission, and front-wheel drive, and starts from 3.3 million rubles (approximately $36,700 at current rates) without discounts. The price of the 2.0-liter all-wheel-drive version is at least 3.7 million (approximately $41,100), and if you take the car in the same spec as the test car—3.85 million (approximately $42,800). With the Toyota RAV4, it«s more complicated: there»s no fixed price, and the owner himself says he bought it for 4.3 million (approximately $47,800). Now, according to him, you can find such a car for 4.2–4.6 million (approximately $46,700–$51,100). A study of aggregators showed that this is close to the truth: for such a «Rav4» from 2025, they ask around 4.5 million rubles (approximately $50,000). So, the price difference between the contenders can be taken at the level of 600,000–700,000 rubles (approximately $6,700–$7,800).
Then come the nuances. It«s clear that the GAC will have all the advantages of an »official« car with warranty and trade-in discounts. You can buy it immediately, without a long wait, without the risk of running into a recycling fee surcharge. The Toyota owner counters this by saying he doesn»t feel additional risks from a «parallel» car. His RAV4 was bought from a former official dealer, i.e., a legal entity to which, in case of issues, it«s easier to make claims than to a private reseller. The »Rav4« itself is reliable and well-known to Russian service technicians, so the owner doesn»t foresee problems with maintenance. The RAV4 retains its value much better, and this is the second most significant expense item for a car after fuel costs. This «Rav4» was bought not for its ordinary characteristics, but precisely as an «investment,» with the aim of driving it for a while and selling it for the maximum amount. What the liquidity of the GAC will be, we don«t know yet, but even old-school brands can»t throw down the gauntlet to Toyota in this field, let alone the «Chinese».
However, reputation is something that can be built. GAC entered Russia recently, in 2019, but active work began only after 2022. At the end of 2023, the brand managed to sell only 3,000 cars; at the end of 2025—six times more, so the dynamics are good. It«s far from the leaders, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step: GAC»s market share is steadily growing.
The main intrigue is the Russian assembly of GAC at the St. Petersburg plant, which until 2022 belonged to Hyundai. After the departure of the South Korean brand, the plant passed into the ownership of the Russian «AGR Holding» and produced the same quartet of Korean models from leftover parts under the Solaris brand. But the CKD kits ran out, and the option to buy back the plant is expiring any day now, so Hyundai«s return looks unlikely, and the main contender for replacement is precisely GAC. Trial assembly began at the end of last year, and such cars have even gone on sale, but whether the project will develop is unclear. In Russia, little is clear at all right now.
Our test showed the following. The GAC GS4 is cheaper, more spacious, and more dynamic, but on Toyota«s side—high reputation, better ergonomics, and attention to details. Even without official representation, the Japanese brand managed to remain in the top 10 most popular foreign cars (at the end of 2025), while GAC is still in 12th place. But in the future, the balance may change: sharply increased recycling fees complicate imports, and the Toyota engine doesn»t fall into the «preferential» range up to 160 hp. And if GAC establishes Russian assembly, getting a «discount» on the recycling fee, who knows—maybe it will become if not the new Toyota, then the new Hyundai?
Earlier, we tested two more cars from the same segment: Jetour T1 and Dongfeng Mage.
We thank the company GAC Center on Kashirinykh for assistance in preparing the material.
