Rav4: Hard to argue with handsome new member of Toyota clan

There is a certain irony in the fact that as one of the fore-runners of the whole crossover genre, the Toyota RAV4 now finds itself swamped by a whole host of wannabe contenders. As one of the original of the species, the RAV4 was designed and built to give drivers an off-road look with very much an on-road demeanour, writes Declan Colley

When it first came out back in 1994 it was as a result of a ‘light-bulb’ moment at the Japanese giant when the company realised there was a market for rugged looking vehicles for people who wanted such things, but did not want the Neanderthal handling characteristics or the agricultural comfort levels that invariably went with them.

Modestly, Toyota claims to have discovered the compact SUV segment by building the RAV4, but if that was the case — and I’m sure there are those in Suzuki, for example, who might like to quibble with any such assertion — then the company has strayed far from the original starting point for the car.