2013 Toyota RAV4: A familiar and pleasantly updated package

Back in 1996, Toyota was first into a then-novel automotive segment, the cross-over. Or was it the mini-ute? Oddball car monikers aside, the RAV4 added up to a hit, attracting buyers who liked the idea of having a capable car-based off-roader with ample cargo room without the growing gas penalty that came with owning a full-size SUV. Sales were swift out of the gate, around 50,000 annually for the first years then doubling and tripling in short order. Last year, 170,000 drivers bought RAV4s, and the Japanese automaker is hoping to hit the 200,000 mark soon.

That lofty sales goal rests on the shoulders of the fourth generation of that Japanese trailblazer, whose re-design comes not a moment too soon. The small-ute market has mushroomed over the past decade, and now includes perennial favorites such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape. Now add to that mix more upmarket options including Audi’s Q5 and BMW’s new X1, and soon enough Porsche’s mini-Cayenne, the Macan.

So what’s Toyota got up its sleeve to stave off such formidable competition? For 2013, the RAV4 does a two-step, at once succumbing to the demographic reality of its consumer base while at the same time adding enough whiz-bang goodies so that its affordable package (from $23,300) attracts new buyers.