Kuhl Racing has turned the Toyota RAV4 on its head and given it a whole lot of unexpected attitude. The SUV is one of the most popular vehicles in America (other than trucks) and has been a staple of the American car diet for over a quarter of a century. This practical crossover SUV is safe, fuel-efficient, packed with tech, and looks pretty good, but some in the aftermarket industry think it can look better.

Enter Kuhl Racing. This styling company has been responsible for giving many a sports car a decent facelift, and we've covered some of its best work over the years, but we never thought we'd see it take on the humble RAV4 as a project. The Japanese tuner has transformed this RAV4 into a PreRunner lookalike, and it made a big splash at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon.

This RAV4 was inspired by military vehicles, and the newly developed kit is called VRAVRA Mars. The kit is suitable for standard RAV4 models, but we think it looks at its best when fitted with a suspension lift and big off-road tires. In Japan, the RAV4 is offered with an Off-Road package that bulks up the looks of this trendy urbanite, but Kuhl turns things up to 11 with its extreme kit that completely transforms the look of the car. The front end receives a new grille, a black-painted lower bumper, a sculpted hood, and wide front fenders. All Toyota badging is also stripped away. The mirror caps are swapped for some futuristic-looking pieces, the side sills get black protective wrapping, and the fender add-ons make this beast look like something much more exotic. This RAV4 rides on a set of 17-inch Vrarva DW wheels wrapped in Dunlop Grantrek AT5 all-terrain tires.

The rear end looks just as cool: there's a massive new rear bumper tied in with a set of ridiculous fender flares and a huge rear diffuser. Although there are no photos of the interior, Kuhl has gone ahead and added new seat covers and floor mats. According to Kuhl's website, the 12-piece body kit will set you back ¥2,140,560 ($16,608), including tax, painting, and installation. The company also sells pre-built cars and currently advertises a front-wheel-drive model with all mentioned upgrades for $33,273. If we were buying, we'd go for the more powerful hybrid version in AWD. The RAV4 isn't a hardcore off-roader by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, at least it looks badass.