Toyota didn't just facelift the RAV4 for this generation, they rebuilt the case for why it should still lead its segment. Gone is the soft, rounded crossover shape of the outgoing model, replaced by squared off wheel arches and a stance that borrows more from body on frame SUVs than it has any right to for something still built on a unibody platform. In matte black with gloss black wheels, this one leans fully into that rugged read rather than softening it.

Pop the hood and the 2.0 litre Dynamic Force engine sits in a bay that's noticeably tidier than the outgoing generation's, a small sign of how much Toyota reworked underneath the skin here, not just the sheet metal. It isn't the most powerful engine in the class, but it's the one built for the long game, strong efficiency figures, a naturally aspirated simplicity that ages well, and AWD that adds genuine confidence on wet roads or loose ground without turning the car into something that needs specialist servicing.

Where this cabin earns its keep is the orange accent trim running through the dash, console, and seat stitching. It's a small design choice, but it's the kind that separates a car someone chose deliberately from one that was simply available, energetic without tipping into gimmicky, and it carries through consistently rather than showing up as a single token stripe. The quilted seat pattern adds another layer of texture that most competitors in this bracket skip entirely, opting for flat panels instead.

For a buyer weighing this against a Harrier or a Prado, the RAV4 makes a different argument entirely, less status object, more honestly engineered daily driver, one that happens to look sharper doing it than it strictly needs to.