The 2013 RAV4 has achieved five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, scoring 89% for adult occupant protection and 82% for child occupant protection. You can find out more about how the RAV4 was scored by clicking the link to the right.

Standard Toyota RAV4 safety equipment is comprehensive, including seven airbags, sophisticated stability control systems and front seats designed to mitigate the effects of whiplash.

For the first time, the RAV4 is available with a radar-operated Blind Spot Monitor system as an option for Invincible versions. This illuminates a warning signal to the driver in the door mirror should there be another vehicle hovering in the RAV4’s blind spot when the driver indicates.

Further safety options include a lane departure warning system and, for the first time on the RAV4, an automatic high beam assist system which switches the lights between dipped and full beam automatically to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles.

Toyota says key design targets for the RAV4 were manoeuvrability, a good view from the steering wheel and ease of access.

The previous RAV4 had a side-hinged tailgate, which was occasionally awkward to open in tight car park environments. This has been replaced with a conventional top-hinged mechanism.

For Icon and Invincible versions the tailgate is power-operated and features a memory function so users of different heights can set the tailgate to open to a certain point and go no further.

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is 205mm longer, 30mm wider and 25mm lower than the car it replaces and the wheelbase is 100mm longer, freeing up more space in the cabin.

There’s now a greater distance between the front and rear seats and the front seatbacks are thinner than before to give rear passengers an extra 40mm of knee room. Despite the extra length, the RAV4’s turning circle of 10.6 metres is very good for a car of this type.

As before there are 60:40 split-folding rear seats, which fold down to create an almost completely flat load area. Load area capacity has been increased to 547 litres and there’s also 100 litres of storage in an undertray compartment under the boot floor.

With the seats down, there’s over 1,100 litres of load-carrying space. A removable hammock-style cargo net in the boot is a useful addition, helping to prevent luggage from sliding around.