Toyota was a pioneer in its segment with the first generation RAV4, which was considerably smaller than the SUV they currently build. This one was introduced in 2006 and suffered a facelift at the middle of its cycle in 2009.

So presumably, this brand new RAV4 is going to be on the market within the next year or so. This is first time we’ve been able to show you a prototype, and even though it’s heavily camouflaged, we can see it’s changed a lot.

It’s going to be better and more economical than the current generation, the reason being stiff competition coming its way from other Japanese rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V.

The architecture for this car is believed to be derived from the current generation, seeing as the wheelbase seems unchanged.

We can also clearly see this car has done without the tailgate-mounted spare tire. Given where the number plate is installed and the shape of the bumper, it’s reasonable to deduce that this feature has been removed, and the spare is now in the trunk.

The styling of the 2013 RAV4 might differ from market to market, but it will be inspired by the Camry in the US.

A look at Toyota's next bread-and-butter crossover.

What It Is: The next generation of Toyota’s RAV4 crossover. We’ve already spotted camouflaged prototypes during testing; this rendering incorporates many of the key changes expected for Toyota’s ubiquitous small SUV, including a more carlike look with smoother styling.

Why It Matters: The RAV4 still is a hot item in Toyota showrooms, despite the current model being long in the tooth. It’s also growing out of step with the crossover mainstream (it still offers an old-school-SUV-style tailgate-mounted spare tire, for example), so this latest iteration needs to fall in line with the rest of the segment. That means a less-truckish appearance, as well as improved fuel economy.

Platform: The next RAV4 should sit on a variation of the current model’s platform. But it will look like a new animal, thanks mostly to a smoother snout, a more steeply raked windshield, and the absence of an exterior-mounted spare tire. Our artist’s rendering applies Toyota’s latest design language to the shape of the prototype RAV4s we’ve seen. Basically, imagine a current-gen RAV4 mixed with the latest Camry sedan, and you’ve pretty much got it. Although this rendering speculates styling that’s something of a departure from that of the contemporary RAV4, it’s not too far off from what the European RAV4 has looked like for some time now.

Powertrain: Buyers should again be able to spec their RAV4s with either front- or all-wheel drive, as is customary throughout the small-crossover arena. We expect the outgoing RAV4’s four- and six-cylinder engines to largely carry over to this new one; however, Toyota likely will upgrade to six-speed automatic transmissions for both engines. (Currently, the four-cylinder RAV4 gets an ancient four-speed auto and the brawny V-6 model gets a five-cog slushbox.)

Estimated Arrival Time and Price: If this new RAV4 is to make the 2013-model-year cutoff, it’ll probably appear late this summer or in the fall; otherwise, it could debut sometime early next year as a 2014. Pricing shouldn’t budge much from the current RAV4’s base of $23,460.