LA show: Toyota’s next RAV4 revealed early

TOYOTA’S hotly anticipated redesigned RAV4 compact SUV has broken cover on the internet ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles motor show this week and Australian launch early next year.

A series of slightly grainy images that look to have been lifted from an official brochure surfaced on the internet overnight and look to be legitimate, spread across a plethora of blog sites including carstyleblog.com and Volkswagen enthusiast website vwvortex.com that appear to be among the first to have posted the pictures.

Shots of a near-production vehicle in final-stage testing have also surfaced, showing among other things that the new-generation RAV4 has adopted a conventional liftback-style tailgate and had its spare wheel relocated to a more practical position (for accessing the cargo area, not the spare) underneath the rear floor.

Significantly, the new model has also emerged with a sleeker, sportier design that borrows heavily from the latest Corolla’s European styling influences.

Left: leaked images of the 2013 Toyota RAV4

The interior has a similar feel to the current model, although the sharper-angled design theme carries into the cabin on the dashboard and door trim, for example.

The centre stack has been completely revamped, with higher-mounted controls, new positions for the air vents and plenty of faux metallic trim.

Toyota heralded the fourth-generation RAV4’s transformation with a teaser video released earlier this month, although the Japanese manufacturer is still to reveal full details.

The redesigned soft-roader is scheduled to arrive in Australia in February, powered by a choice of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines – the 3.5-litre V6 is expected to be dropped – and continuing with front-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.

Overseas reports indicate that Toyota will include a 2.5-litre petrol engine in the mix, along with a new six-speed automatic transmission.