Toyota RAV4

Toyota RAV4
2019 Toyota RAV4 LE (US)
Overview
ManufacturerToyota
Also called
  • Toyota Vanguard (Japan, 2005–2016)
  • Toyota Wildlander (China, 2020–present)
  • Suzuki Across (Europe, 2020–present)
Production1994–present
Body and chassis
ClassCompact crossover SUV
Layout

The Toyota RAV4 (Japanese: トヨタ・RAV4, Hepburn: Toyota Ravufō) is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is known for starting the wave of compact crossovers.[1] The RAV4 is one of the best-selling SUVs of all time. By February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4s had been sold globally.[2]

It made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994,[3] and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 1996.[4] The vehicle was designed for consumers wanting a vehicle that had most of the benefits of SUVs, such as increased cargo room, higher visibility, and the option of full-time four-wheel drive, along with the manoeuvrability and fuel economy of a compact car. The vehicle's name is an abbreviation of "Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive",[5] or "Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4-wheel drive",[6] although not all models come equipped with the four-wheel drive system.

For the third-generation model, Toyota offered both short- and long-wheelbase versions of the RAV4. Short-wheelbase versions were sold in Japan and Europe; long-wheelbase versions in Australia and North America. Toyota of Japan also sold the longer-wheelbase version as the Toyota Vanguard (Japanese: トヨタ・ヴァンガード, Hepburn: Toyota Vangādo) at Toyopet Store dealership chain from 2005 through 2016. RAV4 for the Japanese market were sold at two different Toyota dealership chains, Corolla Store and Netz.

  1. ^ "9 cute SUVs from the last decade: Toyota RAV4 – 1996". CNN. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Global sales of the Toyota RAV4 reach 10 million units". Toyota Europe Newsroom. 10 April 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ^ "MotorWeek: Road Test". Mpt.org. 21 July 1996. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  4. ^ Jensen, Cheryl (14 June 2013). "Modern Maturity for the Original Cute Ute". The New York Times. US. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. ^ "What do the different Toyota model names mean?". Toyota. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Toyota Rolls Out All-New RAV4" (Press release). Japan: Toyota Global. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022.