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RAVOLUTION

Models Covered: Third generation RAV4: 5-door Station Wagon, 2.0 petrol 2.2 140bhp, 180bhp diesel [XT3, XT4, XT5, T180]

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

* Introduction Taking a massive leap in complexity, build quality and cost, the third generation Toyota RAV4 moved away from the rather crude but fun image of the first generation car and middle of the road feel of the second. Opinions differ on whether it has moved price-wise beyond what the market will bear and steady rather than storming initial sales would seem to partly bear this assertion out. Up against a revitalised Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander, Toyota found conquest sales hard. As a used buy, it’s typically Toyota with great service from franchised dealers and as close to guaranteed reliability as it’s possible to get.

The third generation Toyota RAV4 was wheeled out to a broadly appreciative press at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and first impressions suggested that Toyota had retained many of the core strengths of the existing RAV4 while adopting many of the characteristics that made the Nissan X-Trail such a success. When it comes to pan European sales, Toyota yields to nobody, but the X-Trail had, for a couple of years, been recognised as the market leader on these shores. Toyota isn’t a company to let a slight like that ride and the MK3 RAV4 was bigger, beefier and a whole lot smarter than its predecessor. Before the advent of the RAV4, small 4x4s were rather unlovely items of the ‘tumble jeep’ persuasion. Show them a corner and they’d show you the sort of low speed aerobatics that would have a Red Arrows pilot reaching for the barf bag. The MK1 RAV4 changed all that. With a taut ride and peppy engines, here was a car that was designed around the realisation that at least 90% of its life would be spent on-road. Dubbed the ‘GTi of 4x4s’, the RAV4 soon became the hot ticket in town. That is until the rest of the market got with the programme and developed some seriously capable rivals like the Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Freelander. The second generation RAV4 did extremely well but it seems Toyota wanted more. In an attempt to leverage its quality reputation, the third generation RAV4 sailed upmarket. It’s what you’d expect to find if Lexus ever built a small 4x4.

We’ve seen that with each successive iteration, the RAV4 got bigger and better equipped. The third generation model represented the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky was replaced with bold and aggressive. The frontal styling is still recognisably RAV4 but move aft and the new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious. There was never a three-door version, Toyota reasoning that smaller leisure-oriented models weren’t making the numbers in the UK market. Break-out the tape measure and you’ll find the third-generation RAV4 is a whopping 145mm longer and a hefty 80mm wider. Couple that with smarter packaging and you end up with a car that’s way bigger on the inside, offering some 25 per cent more luggage space. If you’re worried that this will make it a nightmare to park, be reassured by the fact that it’s still shorter than something like a Honda CR-V or a Land Rover Freelander. The cabin is smartly-styled with an unusually curvaceous fascia that’s quite unlike any other production car in its execution. While the main instruments are quite conventional, the centre console features a twin-tiered design with metallic inserts and a circular theme for the minor controls. Higher quality plastics are used than is the compact 4x4 norm and a start button is included. Three mainstream trim levels are offered - XT3, XT4 and plush XT5 – and all variants get a compact disc stereo, alloy wheels, air conditioning, plus no fewer than seven airbags including curtain and driver’s knee bags. The range-topping XT5 also comes furnished with leather upholstery, climate controlled air conditioning and satellite navigation. The RAV4 has long had a reputation for being impeccably built and this model bolsters that reputation with class-topping equipment levels. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4’s load capacity has risen so dramatically and it also helps that the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There’s none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor.

Prices for the third generation Toyota RAV4 kick off at around £15,500 for a 2006 55-plated 2.0-litre XT3 and add another £600 if you’re hankering after the XT4 model. The XT5 starts at around £17,000. The 2.2-litre 140bhp diesel has proven popular and these open at around £16,500 in XT3 guise. The pricey T180 model s still relatively thin on the ground, but expect to pay around £19,500 for a 20006 55 plater.

Not much goes wrong on-road. Make the normal inspection for signs of heavy off-road use. Since the car was never sold as an 'off-roader', you're unlikely to find that this is a problem. If the vehicle seems to have been used a lot in the mud, it’s best to walk away as it isn't built to take that sort of treatment.

(approx - based on a 2006 2.0 XT3 ex VAT) A clutch assembly is around £240, a full exhaust system around £800 (with the catalyst), front brake pads are around £45 and rear brake shoes are around £40. A radiator is about £240, an alternator around £180 and a starter motor about £195.

As far as the oily bits go, you’ll have a choice of three powerplants. The best is the 134bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, an engine that’s not shy of muscle and yet, which will average a creditable 42.2mpg. Business users will prick up their ears at the prospect of 177g/km emissions, which mean that they’re not about to get a wallop in the wallet when it comes to benefit in kind taxation. Naturally, it’s also Euro IV-compliant. If your pockets are a little deeper or your right boot a little heavier, there’s also a 175bhp version of that engine which will still eke 39.2 miles from a single gallon of diesel. If you’re still not sold on the benefits of the black pump, Toyota also offer a 150bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine that struggles when the car’s fully-loaded but features an average 32.1mpg fuel economy figure. Few people buy RAV4s to take them off-road. It’ll manage a muddy lane at a pinch but if you’re thinking of undertaking the Camel Trophy, you’ll need to rearrange these words into a familiar phrase: tree up wrong the barking. This generation RAV4 runs in front-wheel-drive mode most of the time but when slippage is detected, the car instantly switches to four-wheel-drive mode. A switch can ‘lock’ the vehicle in all-wheel-drive and there’s hill start as well as downhill assist controls but don’t expect hardcore features like a low-range transfer box. Horses for courses and all that.

The RAV4 used too be the small 4x4 bought by people who hate the way traditional 4x4s drive. Since its inception, it has been subsumed into the mainstream a bit and the third generation model isn’t quite so much fun to hustle about. It’s a very competent used buy, if a little unexciting. As long as the car has been treated reasonably, it should prove faithful and capable. A little of the spark has gone, but the RAV4 is still a class act.

BIGGER AND CLEVERER
Toyota Are Relying On The D4-D 140bhp Engine To Be The Volume Seller In Their Latest RAV4 Line Up. With Good Reason Too, As Andy Enright Reports

The Toyota RAV4 is an extremely easy car to take for granted. To many, it’s the template for compact, road-biased 4x4s. It’s inoffensive, well built and generally ubiquitous. Toyota, however, have loftier aspirations for this model and recent sales point to the fact that these expectations are based on a solid grounding rather than pie in the sky targets. The variant that will be responsible for the lion’s share of this sales growth is the RAV4 D4-D diesel 140, a car that extends the RAV4’s skill set way beyond any previous model.

I must admit to a feeling that Toyota had rather overextended themselves with this third generation RAV4. Somewhat predictably, it had grown bigger and gone further upmarket, the word ‘premium’ being a constant mantra at the launch press conference. This is usually manufacturer shorthand for the fact that they’re tacitly acknowledging that their product is a little on the expensive side. Indeed, despite this RAV4’s eye-catching entry-level price of £20,345, examine the specification sheets and it’s clear that few will buy the stripped out XT3 variant, spending a fair whack more on the £22,845 XT4 model instead. This is no longer the cheap and cheerful car that Toyota first brought to these shores in 1994. Although a fair slug of sales will go to the 2.0-litre petrol engine and a smaller amount to the high-powered 177bhp diesel that powers the flagship T180 variant, it’s this 134bhp common-rail diesel engine that Toyota predict will account for around 53 per cent of all UK sales and it’s a useful powerplant. Although you’re never going to forget it’s a diesel you’re driving, the engine pulls well from low revs and has an acceptable amount of punch in the midrange. It’s worth remembering that it wasn’t long ago that 130bhp was the maximum power one could reasonably expect from an engine of this kind. It shows how far we’ve come that 134bhp marks the entry-level diesel powerplant for a compact 4x4 such as this.

"The 134bhp engine pulls well from low revs and offers a broad helping of torque"

It’s a high-tech unit, of all aluminium construction with a 2.2-litre displacement. The light weight helps keep the front end of the RAV4 agile and also assists in Toyota’s goals of low emissions and decent fuel economy for this model. Acceleration is punchy, the RAV hitting 60mph in 10.2 seconds and only topping out at 112mph. Drive a little less manically and you should average around 42.8mpg. A hefty torque figure of 310Nm is on tap between 2,000 and 2,800rpm. The gearing is a little odd, perhaps as a sop to city or off road driving, with the first couple of ratios being set very low with a relatively tall third gear. This means that unless you rev the engine hard in second gear, it’s easy to rather lazily fall off the bottom of the engine’s useful response when you slot third. Otherwise there’s not a whole lot wrong with the six-speed transmission. The lever itself is set curiously far back so that those with long arms and legs may find the action from fifth to sixth hampered as their elbow hits the seat bolster. There are a couple of curiosities about this model that were never satisfactorily explained away. Of all the powerplants, this seems the most suited to light off road duties but Toyota’s Hill Descent Control is only offered on models with an automatic gearbox and, you’ve guessed it, the RAV4 D4-D 140 doesn’t have an auto option. The sideways-opening rear hatch will also make loading in tight car parks rather tricky and there’s no separately opening rear window option offered. One area where the RAV4 excels is in safety provision with no fewer than nine airbags as standard, including, for the first time in this segment, a driver’s knee airbag. The Interactive Drive System is a really smart piece of technology, marrying the intelligent four-wheel drive system to the VSC+ stability control and the EPS electric power steering. Unfortunately, it’s not offered on the XT3, another reason why buyers should really spring the extra for the XT4. This model also includes a leather interior and an uprated MP3-compatible stereo, dual zone climate control and all sorts of other goodies that make the premium well worth it. On top of this there’s a plush XT5 trim level for those who really want their RAV4 fully loaded. It’s on equipment that Toyota hope their latest model stacks up with some of the pricier compact 4x4xs such as the Land Rover Freelander and the Jeep Cherokee. The T180 variant targets the BMW X3 with more power and a vast equipment list. We’ve seen that with each successive iteration, the RAV4 has got bigger and better equipped. The third generation model represents the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky has been replaced with bold and aggressive. The frontal styling is still recognisably RAV4 but move aft and the new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious. There isn’t a three-door version, Toyota reasoning that smaller leisure-oriented models weren’t making the numbers in the UK market. Break-out the tape measure and you’ll find the latest RAV4 is a whopping 145mm longer and a hefty 80mm wider. Couple that with smarter packaging and you end up with a car that’s way bigger on the inside, offering some 25 per cent more luggage space. If you’re worried that this will make it a nightmare to park, be reassured by the fact that it’s still shorter than something like a Honda CR-V or a Land Rover Freelander. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4’s load capacity has risen so dramatically and it also helps that the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There’s none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor. The latest RAV4 is a key model for Toyota in a rapidly expanding market. They needed something special to fend off a bunch of new entrants and this D4-D 140 model should do the business for them. It’s not cheap but if you can get used to the fact that this car’s market positioning has changed, you’ll appreciate it for what it is: a very accomplished performer.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Toyota RAV4 D4-D 140 range PRICES: £20,345-£25,845 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 11E – 12E CO2 EMISSIONS: 177g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.1s / Max Speed 112mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4395/1815/1720 (w/roof rails)

A CLEANER TAKE ON 4X4S?
Hannah Rainford wonders whether the Toyota RAV4 can help banish the myth behind environmentally unfriendly 4x4’s….

Even in this day and age we succumb to stereotypes and one of the biggest has to be the petrol-guzzling, space-hogging 4x4. You know, the kind of car that’s a nuisance for other drivers, bad for the environment and unsuitable for on-road use.

This view may have stemmed from the Americans who, stereotypically, believe that bigger is better. The Chevrolet Trailblazer, which isn’t available over here, is almost 5 metres long and 1.9m wide. It is powered by a monstrous 6.0-litre V8 engine that manages an expensive 15mpg. The Trailblazer is typical of the 4x4’s that many Americans drive but not, of course, typical in Europe. Here, even larger 4x4s are much smaller than the big Chevy and usually powered by modest diesel powerplants. With our high fuel prices, UK buyers tend to choose smaller, more economical engines and will probably go for a diesel model if they plan on covering a fair few miles. Really large 4x4’s are available but they are a comparatively rare sight on our roads British buyers looking for 4x4s are more likely to end up with a compact version, like the Toyota RAV4. If, as the media tells us, general ill-feeling towards 4x4 models really does exist, it lies in the fact that they are supposed to take up much more room on the roads and in parking spaces, as well as yielding poor fuel economy returns and high CO² emissions. But is this really true? After all, some models, like the RAV4, not only fail to conform to the ‘typical’ 4x4 stereotype but actually present a better environmental case than many normal saloons and hatches. For example, the Toyota is 4.4m long and 1.8m wide, meaning that a Ford Mondeo saloon will take up more road space. And, in the case of the model we’re testing here, it’s powered by a 2.2-litre TD diesel engine which will average over 42mpg, giving you a better fuel economy than the 1.4-litre Volkswagen Golf. This engine also emits 177g/km of CO², which happens to be less than many run-of-the-mill petrol-powered family cars like Vauxhall’s 1.8-litre Astra.

“Toyota breaks the stereotype, managing a very creditable 3-stars….”

The best feature of the RAV4 has to be that it can fulfil the role of two cars in one. The versatility of the cabin and the view from the elevated driving position make urban fetching and carrying less of a chore, yet the engine’s game enough to tackle long distance work without a worry. The interior is a more mature, considered proposition compared to the previous generation RAV4. The amount of room inside is class-leading but this space has been found without sacrificing luggage capacity helped by the compact suspension causing little intrusion into the luggage bay. But what about the ‘typical’ 4x4’s poor pedestrian safety record? Campaigners will say that 4x4s cause more accident damage than other categories of vehicle and that pedestrians are more likely to be seriously hurt following an accident. Again however, the Toyota breaks the stereotype, managing a very creditable 3-stars for pedestrian protection in the European NCAP crash safety testing programme. With all of those issues taken care of, you can treat yourself with a clear conscience., Which in the case of buying a RAV4 could mean opting for the XT-R version which has a collection of extras designed to make it look and feel a little bit special. That means features like privacy glass which virtually blacks-out the rear windows, front and rear scuff plates and metallic paint. Starting at £19,995, the XT-R is £1,140 cheaper than the standard XT4 variant it’s based on and £140 cheaper if you pay the £1,000 needed to get leather trim. In summary? Well let’s get this straight. It is not only unfair but totally inaccurate to suggest that all 4x4 models are unsafe and environmentally unfriendly. Every vehicle can potentially be considered bad for the environment and it is possible for your everyday hatchback to be much worse than a compact 4x4. We’re not pretending here that any kind of 4x4 is the cleanest car you can buy. Just that if you want one, then something like a RAV4 is a pretty good bet. And a role model, I’d suggest, for some less environmentally-conscious manufacturers.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Toyota RAV4 XT-R PRICES: £19,995-£21,270 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-13 CO2 EMISSIONS: [2.2TD 134] 177g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.2TD 134] 0-60mph 10.1s / Max Speed 112mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.2TD 134] (combined) 42.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4395/1815/1720mm

POWER BROKER
Toyota Are Breaking Into New Territory With the RAV4 T180, A Model That Lifts Them Into Some Premium Terrain. Is It A Stretch Too Far? Andy Enright Reports

Before we go any further, we need to wipe your memory banks. Like most people, you probably associate Toyota’s RAV4 with something relatively cheap, resolutely cheerful and certainly not something that would carry a price tag of nearly £27,045. There, we’ve got that of the way. A fair proportion of the readership will have departed as soon as they clapped eyes on that rather big number, but there are compelling reasons why this RAV4 is a better source for that money than, say, a BMW X3 2.0d, the car it ruthlessly targets.

Toyota attacks in three key fronts: power, equipment and safety. It’s not often that BMW find themselves outmuscled but in this instance the Munich company must give best to Toyota, the T180 featuring a 27bhp power advantage over the X3. That’s not the long and short of it though. There is a trade-off in terms of refinement as the Toyota’s engine certainly can’t match the 150bhp German on that score but, to be honest, in a vehicle like a compact 4x4 it doesn’t matter too much. This same engine doesn’t really work in the Lexus IS220d but this installation feels eager, enthusiastic and playful. Somewhat oddly, it doesn’t feel as quick as you’d imagine, the onset of the turbocharger being gradual and progressive. The RAV4 T180 is one of those vehicles which is often travelling a whole lot faster than you realise. It’s also one of the few compact 4x4s that you’d choose to throw down a twisty road just for the fun of it. The electric power steering, so often a byword for anaesthetised response, weights up nicely the harder you put the RAV4 into a bend, the light weight of the diesel engine means that turn in is excellent and front end grip, even on looser surfaces, is almost beyond reproach. It’s an impressive ride and handling package, one that Toyota would do well to emphasise, instead of fixating on the ‘premium compact 4x4’ market. You may well ask yourself why Toyota are tilting at BMW in any case. Don’t they have the Lexus brand for that purpose? It’s an apt question and one that was put to a senior Toyota product executive at the vehicle’s launch. The issue was stonewalled somewhat and there hung a hint that with Audi and Mercedes set to enter this market at some not too distant point, it would be folly for Lexus to ignore such a lucrative trough. The RAV4 T180 may well be a stop-gap model for the Toyota group but it does a very good job.

"The RAV4 T180 isn’t shy of power or agility"

Equipment levels are, to put it bluntly, almost obscene. Not only do you get full leather seating with leather trim on the steering wheel and other ancillaries, there’s a superb stereo, DVD satellite navigation, eighteen-inch alloy wheels shod with run flat tyres, keyless go, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, dual zone climate control and a whole host of other toys. The T180 is priced identically to the entry level X3 2.0d but you’re not going to find any of that kit on the German car. Safety is another area where this car excels with no fewer than nine airbags as standard, including, for the first time in this segment, a driver’s knee airbag. The Interactive Drive System is a really smart piece of technology, marrying intelligent four-wheel drive to the VSC+ stability control and the EPS electric power steering. Brake with one side of the car on a slippery surface, such as a dirt verge, and the other on tarmac and in most cars you’d have to apply some carefully judged opposite lock with the steering to stay travelling straight ahead. With the RAV4, the Interactive Drive System computers recognise what’s going on and apply a compensating torque to the steering system. Toyota’s engineers are at pains to stress that the car doesn’t steer for you, it merely assists in the task of staying in control. This engine is a high-tech unit, of all aluminium construction with a 2.2-litre displacement. The light weight helps keep the front end of the RAV4 agile and also assists in Toyota’s goals of low emissions and decent fuel economy for this model. Acceleration is punchy, the RAV hitting 60mph in 9 seconds and only topping out at 120mph. Drive a little less manically and you should average around 40mpg which, somewhat remarkably, is better than the old 114bhp D4-D diesel that powered this car’s predecessor. A hefty torque figure of 400Nm is on tap between 2,000 and 2,600rpm. The gearing is a little odd, perhaps as a sop to city or off-road driving, with the first couple of ratios being set very low with a relatively tall third gear. This means that unless you rev the engine hard in second gear, it’s easy to rather lazily fall off the bottom of the engine’s useful response when you slot third. Otherwise there’s not a whole lot wrong with the six-speed transmission. There are a couple of curiosities about this model that were never satisfactorily explained away. This powerplant is well suited to light off road duties but Toyota’s Hill Descent Control is only offered on models with an automatic gearbox and, you’ve guessed it, the RAV4 T180 doesn’t have an auto option. The sideways opening rear hatch will also make loading in tight car parks rather tricky and there’s no separately opening rear window option offered. Some of the plastics inside, most notably the map compartment door, aren’t what you’d expect in a car that targets BMW either. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4’s load capacity has risen so dramatically and it also helps that the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There’s none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor beneath which is a handy stowage area. There’s a lot to be said for the latest RAV4 but the T180 is a car that’s living outside its natural comfort zone. Yes, it has a very good engine, is well-equipped and features safety gear that its targeted rival cannot hope to match, but it is also punching above its weight with a badge that doesn’t carry a lot of clout in this sector. This is a good car but I can’t see it notching up too many sales. There are just too many diverting attractions elsewhere.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Toyota RAV4 T180 PRICE: £27,045 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 13E CO2 EMISSIONS: 185g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9s / Max Speed 120mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4395/1815/1720 (w/roof rails)

RAV REVS UP
Toyota’s Latest Generation RAV4 Has Grown Up In More Ways Than One. Andy Enright Takes A Look.

Some cars have natural theme tunes. The Toyota Prius always sparks a mental rendition of ‘She’s Electric’ by Oasis while the Lamborghini Gallardo tinkles "Fit and You Know It" by the Streets in the old cortex. If I was to attribute a record title to the latest Toyota RAV4 it would probably be "You’ve come a long way, baby" by Fatboy Slim. Okay, it’s an album not a tune but it pretty much sums up the RAV4. From rather humble beginnings, Toyota’s compact 4x4 has grown into a very accomplished proposition.

The latest version was wheeled out to a broadly appreciative press at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and first impressions suggested that Toyota had retained many of the core strengths of the existing RAV4 while adopting many of the characteristics that have made the Nissan X-Trail such a success. This blending of the two should give Nissan some sleepless nights. When it comes to pan European sales, Toyota yield to nobody in this market, but the X-Trail has, for a couple of years now, been recognised as the market leader on these shores. Toyota aren’t a company to let a slight like that ride and the latest RAV4 is bigger, beefier and a whole lot smarter than its predecessor. The latest model has a lot to live up to. Before the advent of the RAV4, small 4x4s were rather unlovely items of the ‘tumble jeep’ persuasion. Show them a corner and they’d show you the sort of low speed aerobatics that would have a Red Arrows pilot reaching for the barf bag. The RAV4 changed all that. With a taut ride and peppy engines here was a car that was designed around the realisation that at least 90% of its life would be spent on-road. Dubbed the GTi of 4x4s, the RAV4 soon became the hot ticket in town. That is until the rest of the market got with the programme and developed some seriously capable rivals like the Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Freelander. With the RAV4’s thunder well and truly stolen, Toyota needed a response. The second generation RAV4 was better in every respect. Better to drive, with an intriguing array of engines and layouts, it also cribbed a number of ideas from MPVs that made it more practical as well. The chunkier exterior looks went down well as did the sportier interior, the extra equipment and the choice of 1.8-litre two-wheel-drive three-door models as an alternative to the established two-litre four wheel drive. In late 2003 a far-reaching facelift was unveiled with the revised headlamp clusters and grille being the most noticeable alterations.

"Think of how you’d improve the old RAV4 and this version looks to have answered every demand"

So we’ve seen that with each successive iteration, the RAV4 has got bigger and better equipped. The third generation model represents the most radical change yet. Cute and chunky has been replaced with bold and aggressive. The frontal styling is still recognisably RAV4 but move aft and the new vehicle is a whole lot more angular and a good deal more spacious. There isn’t a three-door version, Toyota reasoning that smaller leisure-oriented models weren’t making the numbers in the UK market. Break-out the tape measure and you’ll find the latest RAV4 is a whopping 145mm longer and a hefty 80mm wider. Couple that with smarter packaging and you end up with a car that’s way bigger on the inside, offering some 25 per cent more luggage space. If you’re worried that this will make it a nightmare to park, be reassured by the fact that it’s still shorter than something like a Honda CR-V or a Land Rover Freelander. The cabin is smartly-styled with an unusually curvaceous fascia that’s quite unlike any other production car in its execution. While the main instruments are quite conventional, the centre console features a twin tiered design with metallic inserts and a circular theme for the minor controls. Higher quality plastics are used than is the compact 4x4 norm and a start button is included. Prices start at £19,095 and three trim levels are offered - XT3, XT4 and plush XT5 – and all variants get a compact disc stereo, alloy wheels, air conditioning plus no fewer than seven airbags including curtain and driver’s knee bags. The range-topping XT5 also comes furnished with leather upholstery, climate controlled air conditioning and satellite navigation. The RAV4 has long had a reputation for being impeccably built and the latest model bolsters that reputation with class-topping equipment levels. Rear seats that fold flat to the floor with one pull of a lever are one reason why the RAV4’s load capacity has risen so dramatically and it also helps that the rear seats can be slid backwards and forwards over a range of 165mm, optimising either luggage space or rear passenger leg room. The seat folding action is particularly slick. Whereas some rivals may also claim flat folding rear seats, the reality is that you will often have to spend time dismantling the head restraints or risk a hernia from flipping seat bases up before the operation can be completed. There’s none of that palaver in the RAV4, a one-handed operation seeing the seat vanish flush with the load bay floor. As far as the oily bits go, you’ll have a choice of three powerplants. Likely to prove most popular is the 134bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, an engine that’s not shy of muscle and yet, which will average a creditable 42.2mpg. Business users will prick up their ears at the prospect of 177g/km emissions, which mean that they’re not about to get a wallop in the wallet when it comes to benefit in kind taxation. Naturally, it’s also Euro IV compliant. If your pockets are a little deeper or your right boot a little heavier, there’s also a 175bhp version of that engine which will still eke 39.2 miles from a single gallon of diesel. If you’re still not sold on the benefits of the black pump, Toyota also offer a 150bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine that may struggle when the car’s fully-loaded but features an average 32.1mpg fuel economy figure. Few people buy RAV4s to take them off-road. It’ll manage a muddy lane at a pinch but if you’re thinking of undertaking the Camel Trophy, you’ll need to rearrange these words into a familiar phrase: tree up wrong the barking. This generation RAV4 runs in front-wheel-drive mode most of the time but when slippage is detected, the car instantly switches to four-wheel-drive mode. A switch can ‘lock’ the vehicle in all-wheel-drive and there’s hill start as well as downhill assist controls but don’t expect hardcore features like a low-range transfer box. Horses for courses and all that. Toyota look to have hit the nail squarely on the head with the latest RAV4. Bigger, smarter but still resolutely pragmatic, it’s a tempting proposition. We’ll have to wait for a proper road test to get to grips with its driving manners but the revised suspension and sharper steering points in the right direction. A hybrid option would have been welcome but otherwise the RAV4 looks to have covered a good few bases.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Toyota RAV4 range PRICES: £19,095-£27,045 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-13 CO2 EMISSIONS: [2.2TD 134] 177g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.2TD 134] 0-60mph 10.1s / Max Speed 112mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.2TD 134] (combined) 42.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start and downhill assist controls WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4395/1815/1720mm