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]

It made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994,[2] and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 1996.[3] 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",[4] or "Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4-wheel drive",[5] 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.

In 2019, the RAV4 was the best-selling SUV of any type in the world, and the fourth best-selling passenger car overall. North America is the largest market, with 535,000 units sold in 2019, followed by Europe (133,000) and China (127,000). By February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4s had been sold globally.[6]

  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. ^ "MotorWeek: Road Test". Mpt.org. 21 July 1996. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "What do the different Toyota model names mean?". Toyota. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Toyota Rolls Out All-New RAV4" (Press release). Japan: Toyota Global. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  6. ^ "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.