2013 Toyota Rav4

Toyota's designers have modernized the looks of the popular on both sides of the Atlantic RAV4, applying familiar styling cues from their more recent models like the Auris hatchback and estate giving the SUV a sharper appearance.The new compact crossover looks like it also features a larger footprint, which if true, should improve passenger and possibly luggage space, while the interior boasts more upscale materials, such as the leather trim on the dashboard of the display vehicle.

We have nothing official yet on the 2013 RAV4's specifications, but it has been rumored for a while now that the North American model may drop the V6 option and follow the example of the rivaling Honda CR-V offering a single four-cylinder engine. In other regions like Europe, the new RAV4 will be available with diesel units as well, possibly sourced from the BMW Group as part of an agreement signed between the two automakers.

Stay tuned for more as the 2013 RAV4 will make its global debut later today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. RAV4 was a two-time comparison-test champ, so you know we liked it, but it had exactly one thrilling characteristic: The totally bitchin’, un-crossover-like gusto provided by the optional V-6. (Seriously. Zero to 60 in 6.4 seconds.) But now that’s gone, as the new, fourth-generation 2013 Toyota RAV4 will amble through suburbia exclusively on four-cylinder power.

The rest of the formula all the sorta boring stuff that made it great carries over, though, with some key additions to bring it up to modern spec. The four-cylinder is again a 2.5-liter unit, this time making 176 hp versus the previous model’s 179. (Torque stays pat at 172 lb-ft.) Both front- and all-wheel-drive models will be offered, the latter gaining the ability to shunt torque fore and aft and a locking mode that forces more power rearward in low-speed, low-traction situations such as when digging through mud or sand.

This time around, the RAV4 gets a six-speed automatic transmission, which replaces a crusty four-speed unit and incorporates an S mode that blips the throttle on downshifts. The swap improves fuel economy by about five to ten percent, to 24/31 for FWD models and 22/29 for all-wheel-drivers, but we think those trading in their old RAV4s will most enjoy the lower levels of engine noise while on the freeway.