Rightly or otherwise, Toyota's press material says that Japan's number one carmaker invented the small, car-based Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) when it rolled out the first RAV4 about a decade ago.

Honda might have a thing or two to say about that claim, but whatever the case might be, the basic proposition must have been sound to begin with because the market is now flush with similar offerings from Japan. Time then, for a new RAV4 to reclaim the segment its makers say it invented?

Toyota certainly seems determined enough, revamping the RAV4 in all the key areas to do it. The body is noticeably bigger, and its sculpted lines are conspicuously more aggressive, with a wider stance and tapered headlamps adding meanness to its appearance.

Further evidence that Toyota isn't messing about? The base engine is now a 2.4-litre, which is a better match for its larger body than the last model's 2.0-litre, giving it the power for better on-road performance, as well as added oomph for mud-plugging. The RAV4 may not look like something with which to contest the Rainforest Challenge, but then Toyota has seen fit to beef up its off-roading ability with new features, too (see "Let Your Fingers Do The Off-Roading").

All in all, then, the RAV4 looks like a pretty serious effort. And that's before you even drive it.

DRIVING IT

Assuming you're the law-abiding sort (and I'd hazard a guess that most Toyota drivers are), bombing along the highway in the RAV4 sees the engine ticking over at just 2,000rpm, which makes for quiet, economical cruising. This, despite the fact that the automatic is merely a four-speeder.

That means the Toyota's gearing is on the tall side (first gear alone will take you all the way to 70km/h), but though a five-speeder would have been nice, the truth is that the autobox works well with the 2.4-litre engine.

It's the same beefy unit that powers the Camry 2.4, but tweaked for more power, and has enough low-end torque to ensure that the RAV4 never feels sluggish. It's not neck-strainingly quick off the line, but once the revs get up to 4,000rpm, it builds up a nice head of steam and you soon find yourself flirting with a speeding fine.

And thanks to the gearbox's readiness to drop a gear or two, a firm foot on the throttle translates into an accelerative leap forward pretty readily. When that happens, however, you also get a corresponding jump in noise. Revved hard, the engine does reveal the throbbiness of a large four-cylinder, and it goes from whisper-quiet to boisterous in fairly short order.

Nevertheless, when you're content to surf along with traffic, instead of overtaking it, the RAV4 is quietly well-mannered. Burly springs for off-roading mean a firmish ride, but body control is more or less impeccable, so there's neither high-speed floatiness nor pothole crashiness to live with.

Indeed, the overriding driving impression given by the RAV4 is how much it feels like a passenger car, rather than an SUV. Aided by a good, stiff body, the steering response is taut and accurate, and offers decent feel.

Sitting as high up as you do in the RAV4, you're naturally more sensitive to body roll during hard cornering, but the Toyota manages to avoid the sloppy lurching that you'd expect of a car of its height. Throw in respectable grip from the tyres, and you have an SUV that doesn't mind being pushed hard around bends.

INSIDE IT

Size and versatility are the two hallmarks of the RAV4's cabin. It's huge inside, especially where rear occupants are concerned. So much so that front and rear passengers practically occupy different postal codes.

There's acres of rear legroom, and even that is easily expanded or reduced (along with boot space) thanks to rear seats that slide fore-and-aft, just like the chairs in front. Also like front seats, they can be reclined, or folded flat to boost luggage capacity.

As for cabin ambience, the RAV4's interior is a pleasant place to be. A large glass area floods light into the cabin, and there's a nice consistency to the plastic trim. Switchgear layout is far less complicated than it looks, with various controls gathered into clusters that are a breeze to figure out.

What glitches there are, are fairly minor, and are concerned mostly with aesthetics. The small size of the air-con's display screen can make it hard to see, for instance. Turn the sound system on at night, and its blue lighting clashes with the orangey hues of the rest of the dashboard. The overall dashboard design only just scrapes through to the right side of blandness, too.

Still, fiddle with the switches, and you're rewarded with a nice feel to their action that smacks of fastidious attention to quality. In build terms, the RAV4's cabin is leaps ahead of its predecessor's, and just to up its smugness factor, the driving position is high enough to place you at eye level with drivers of a Lexus RX 300.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

RAV4 buyers face a tough choice: standard car or premium model for $10,000 extra? The money buys you a long list of extras, but if you ask us, only some are worth thinking hard about.

The RAV4 Premium gets a glass sunroof (nice), a leather steering wheel with audio controls (also nice), wheelarch extensions (neat, but hardly essential), roof rails (you could always install these yourself), alloy wheels (ditto), fog lamps (why? In case you drive to London?), stability control (go for it) and a digital air-con (you'll set it to 'Max' all the time anyway). It also comes with a different cruise control system, and off-roading aids that help you negotiate steep hills.

That's plenty of kit for your ten grand, but except for the stability control system, it's all more luxury than necessity. Choose the Premium model if you can afford it and the extra kit tickles your fancy, then, because either way, buying a RAV4 means getting an SUV that's refined, car-like to drive and damn spacious.

Verdict

Being in the market for a mid-sized Japanese SUV has probably never been sweeter, with stalwarts like the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail to consider, alongside newcomers like the redesigned Suzuki Vitara, Subaru Forester and Mitsubishi Outlander. Now, of course, there's the RAV4 to ponder.

So where does it stand in that crowd? Pretty tall, actually. In practical terms it's mighty appealing, since it's more than large enough for family duties, and works nicely in that well-sorted Toyota way.

You might not take it as far into the jungle as you would, say, a Vitara, but then it has proper manners on the road, so you might not want to. Until Honda responds with a new CR-V, this could be the one to consider if your idea of the perfect off-roader is something you don't really want to take off-road.

NEED TO KNOW

Toyota RAV4 2.4 Premium
Engine 2,362cc, 16V in-line 4
Max Power 167bhp at 6,000rpm
Max Torque 224 Nm at 4,000rpm
Gearbox 4-speed automatic
Top Speed 185km/h
0-100 km/h 10.5 seconds
Price $98,988 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 100,000km
Contact Borneo Motors
Telephone 6475-1288

SIMILAR CARS WE HAVE DRIVEN

Mitsubishi Outlander $TBA
Like the RAV4, Mitsubishi's Outlander is spacious, nicely refined and, thanks to electronic trickery, a cinch to take off-road. It's stylish in a way the Toyota isn't, with sporty looks, and boasts niceties like a trip computer and Xenon lights. It's less sharp on the tarmac, though.

Subaru Forester 2.5 XT (A) $89,500 with COE
The new Forester packs a turbocharged 230bhp punch and full-time four-wheel drive, so if it's the thrill of hard acceleration you're after, consider the Subaru. It offers a terrific blend of fearsome performance and great utility. Overall, however, the Toyota is the more spacious and comfortable car.