The Toyota RAV4 is among the hottest autos within the US; third total behind the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado, it’s the best-selling non-pickup truck automobile on the American market. The RAV4 is presently in its sixth technology (with the all-new 2026 mannequin having simply made its grand entrance), and coming as much as its thirtieth anniversary in North America, the place it has been on sale because the 1996 mannequin 12 months.
- Base Trim Engine
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2.5L Inline 4 Hybrid
- Base Trim Transmission
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CVT
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Entrance-Wheel Drive
Whereas the RAV4 is a really well-known mannequin, the RAV-FOUR idea automotive it originated from is way extra obscure; it was fairly completely different from the model that finally went into manufacturing, though it launched a number of of the design concepts that have been later included within the mannequin. Let’s take a better take a look at this attention-grabbing idea crossover.
This function focuses on the historical past of the Toyota RAV-FOUR idea, and the way it led to the creation of the best-selling RAV4 mannequin.
Meet The Toyota RAV-FOUR Idea
Toyota RAV-FOUR Idea Specs | |
|---|---|
Engine | 2.0L NA I4 |
Drivetrain | 4WD |
12 months Launched | 1989 |
The RAV-FOUR idea was launched in 1989 on the Tokyo Motor Present; whereas it’s retrospectively recognizable as an ancestor of the RAV4, it had a significantly completely different design with a much more quirky character. Powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, it had four-wheel drive. Described by Toyota as a “neo-urban 4WD automotive designed to the lively existence of younger metropolis dwellers”, the RAV-FOUR was one of many earliest autos to mix the rugged and the comfy, the 9-5 commute and the weekend tenting journey. Briefly, it launched the thought of the fashionable crossover to the automotive world.
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Its design was fairly in contrast to anything on the roads on the time, with a boxy silhouette marked by deep strakes on the aspect cladding. The entrance finish was equally quirky, with spherical headlights and an asymmetrical grille, neither of which finally made it into the manufacturing model. The inside had a beneficiant dose of off-road character, together with netting to carry unfastened objects in place throughout a very tough drive.
In 1993, Toyota unveiled an up to date model of the idea, with its identify shortened to RAV4; this was primarily a pre-production model of the particular RAV4 mannequin, which was solely a 12 months away from making its debut. This automotive was outfitted with extra options in comparison with the sooner incarnation of the idea, comparable to a limited-slip differential and four-wheel ABS.
The RAV-FOUR’s Successor: The Manufacturing RAV4’s First Three Generations
The primary technology of the RAV4 was launched in North America in 1995, happening sale for the 1996 mannequin 12 months; it had made its debut in Japan and Europe a 12 months earlier. It was constructed on a platform that integrated parts from two present Toyota fashions: the Corolla and the Carina. The US-spec model was powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four engine, which produced 119 hp, paired with both a five-speed guide or a four-speed computerized transmission.
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Each front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variations have been out there; this anticipated a wider development within the rising world of crossovers, which didn’t essentially prioritize having a 4WD format regardless of their picture of ruggedness. Between 1997 and 2003, an all-electric variant of the RAV4 known as the RAV4 EV was additionally produced, nearly solely for fleet use; it was briefly offered to most people as effectively, however solely in California and for a interval of some months in 2002.
The second technology of the mannequin arrived in July 2000, for the 2001 mannequin 12 months; it introduced a couple of styling updates, comparable to a barely reshaped entrance finish and new headlights. Within the US, this mannequin was solely out there as a five-door, though elsewhere on this planet a two-door variant was out there as effectively. A number of gas-powered inline-four engines, plus one diesel, made up the powertrain lineup; as soon as once more, a five-speed guide and four-speed computerized transmission have been on supply. In 2003, the mannequin obtained a facelift, which within the US model additionally added security options like Digital Stability Management.
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On the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Present, the third technology of the RAV4 was unveiled; in North America, this mannequin was out there with both a 2.4-liter inline-four (later changed by a 2.5-liter unit) or a 3.5-liter V6, which produced 270 hp. Whereas the inline-four engines have been paired with a four-speed computerized transmission, the V6 bought a five-speed computerized. This could even be the final technology to retain the extra squared-off silhouette of the earlier fashions, earlier than a radical restyling for the fourth-gen mannequin.
Practicality And Enjoyable: The RAV4’s Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Generations
Sporting an all-new look, the fourth technology of the RAV4 arrived in 2012 on the Los Angeles Auto Present, happening sale for the 2013 mannequin 12 months. On this technology, the V6 engine was dropped from the lineup, leaving a lineup consisting solely of inline-four items. One new addition was the hybrid variant, which paired a 2.5-liter engine with one electrical motor (within the front-wheel-drive model) or two electrical motors (within the four-wheel-drive model). In contrast to the earlier technology, the fourth-gen RAV4 was out there with a single wheelbase size, as a substitute of getting an everyday and prolonged wheelbase choice. Throughout this time, the all-electric RAV4 EV was briefly revived for a second technology, however solely remained in manufacturing till 2014.
The fourth-gen RAV4 was on sale till 2019, when it was changed by the fifth technology which had made its debut on the 2018 New York Worldwide Auto Present. The fifth-gen mannequin shared its platform with the eighth-generation Camry; the modern styling of the fourth-gen mannequin was given a further, barely extra rugged dimension with a brand new grille. It provided each solely gas-powered and hybrid powertrains, however in contrast to earlier generations, had no diesel choice in its lineup. A plug-in hybrid model went on sale in 2019; this variant could be known as the RAV4 Prime in North America till 2025.
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The present technology of the RAV4 is the sixth, which was solely unveiled a couple of days in the past. This technology is the primary to be absolutely electrified, with no solely gas-powered fashions out there in favor of hybrids and plug-in hybrids. A design rework and a few new paint coloration choices give the mannequin a recent, new look. Energy goes from 226 to 236 hp for the hybrid fashions, and as much as 320 hp for the PHEVs. There’s additionally a brand new GR Sport trim, curated by Toyota’s GR division, which provides an additional serving to of sporty character because of a reworked suspension and dealing with, in addition to a couple of devoted beauty touches.
Shaping The Market: The RAV4 And The Evolution Of The Crossover
The RAV4 was not precisely the world’s first crossover; a couple of different fashions had straddled the road between automotive and SUV earlier than, such because the Matra Rancho – retrospectively thought of to be the primary automobile that match the invoice for the crossover class – in Europe and the AMC Eagle within the US. These fashions weren’t, nevertheless, particularly marketed as a crossover within the fashionable sense; the RAV4 was the primary automotive that really ushered within the class, launching an automotive phenomenon that might find yourself taking up the market.
The recognition of the RAV4 led to the phrase “crossover” turning into part of on a regular basis language; after its launch, different automakers shortly started to launch their very own fashions, attracted by the advertising and marketing potential of a automobile that might deal with each tough terrain and the day by day commute with ease. Shoppers have been additionally drawn in by the practicality of the crossover: its raised journey top made life simpler for each older passengers and fogeys of babies, whereas its bigger measurement meant elevated passenger and cargo house. Consequently, crossovers regularly gained a big share of the US automotive market over the three many years that adopted the RAV4’s debut. Right now, they’re one of the crucial common segments; in 2024, SUVs and crossovers made up 58% of recent automotive gross sales.
Sources: Toyota, Cash.com
