Watching the recent evolution of the Toyota RAV4, one might conclude that, like children, little sport-utility vehicles eventually grow up. One day they are tiny, cute and cuddly, with feisty but economical four-cylinder engines. The next they've grown longer, wider, and taller, with family-size, three-row seating capacity and available V6 power. Cute just isn't enough anymore, and the RAV4 is a lot more than cute.
After a complete redesign for 2006, the 2007 RAV4 gets significant safety improvements. Driver and front-passenger seat-mounted, side-impact airbags are now standard equipment, as are roll-sensing side-curtain airbags for first and second-row seats. Both systems were extra-cost options last year. Electronic entertainment options have also been updated.
The recent redesign addressed the buying public's demand for power and space among compact SUVs. The RAV4's length increased by 14 inches, creating more headroom and legroom for second-row passengers, and increased shoulder room all around. Cargo capacity grew by five cubic feet. The base RAV4 still seats five and offers a more frugal four-cylinder power, but a third-row seat (that folds flat into the cargo floor) and a powerful V6 are available.
With these additions, the RAV4 has caught up with its competition. Its 3.5-liter V6 generates 269 horsepower, almost too much for the package, although it adds substantially to the RAV4's capabilities. A V6 RAV4 can haul as many as seven people and tow up to 3500 pounds, and it really scoots. Even the four-banger is more powerful than ever, and buyers still have the choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
On the outside, this latest RAV4 is fresh, less flashy, with fewer styling gimmicks than previous models. The same can't be said for the interior, where some of the change appears to have been for the sake of change alone.