The Crossover That Started it All
While the Toyota RAV4 isn’t the first crossover SUV, we can credit it for making that body style popular – whether we like it or not. Launched in 1994 in Japan, its unibody chassis combined bits from the Corolla, Corona, and, to some extent, the Celica. To say it was a smash hit would be an understatement. Today, the best-selling car in the world is, indeed, a RAV4.
But Toyota’s popular crossover also has an interesting backstory. It wasn’t a flash in the pan idea, but rather, inspired by a concept from the (very) late ’80s. Yes, the RAV4’s origins go further back.
Toyota
Meet the RAV Four
No, that’s not a typo, it really was called the RAV Four spelled out as such. It was a concept car that was shown during the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show. In Toyota’s words, it was “a neo-urban 4WD car designed to cater to the active lifestyles of young city dwellers by integrating the functions of an off-road 4WD vehicle.”
Granted, Toyota already had a bunch of SUVs in its range by that time. Dubbed RVs or recreational vehicles in Japan at the time, Toyota’s lineup consisted of the full-fat Land Cruiser 60 Series, the smaller Land Cruiser 70 Series (which is still around today), and the Hilux Surf, better known elsewhere as the 4Runner. The thing is, those models were pretty large by Japanese standards, so the company saw it fit to introduce something smaller.
Sure, there was the four-wheel drive Tercel that was called the Sprinter Carib over there, but it seems that Toyota wanted a rival to the Suzuki Escudo. Also known as the Sidekick, Vitara, and Geo Tracker, it was introduced in 1988, with the little Suzuki dominating the small RV market all to itself in Japan, offering far more comfort and versatility than the even smaller Jimny.
Toyota
What Does RAV Four Mean?
The name wasn’t the result of spilled blocks from a Scrabble board. If anything, it’s pure logging if you come to find out what each letter means. The RAV bit stands for Recreational Activity Vehicle, which is what the Japanese market called most of its SUVs. As for the FOUR, it simply stood for four-wheel drive.
In a way, we’re glad it wasn’t called the SUV Four.
Toyota
The Concept
The 1989 RAV Four concept would, in many ways, lay down the foundations of the modern crossover. For starters, it utilized a unibody chassis with a front-wheel drive layout. It also boasted rugged styling with acres of cladding surrounding its body.
While it looked truck-like, it rode on fully independent suspension underneath. A skid plate was also present, as well as an integrated winch on the bumper. The RAV Four had a Jeep-like look to it, with the five slats seemingly a hat tip to it.
The interior was of interest, too. There was flexible seating on board to boost practicality, and the open-top arrangement wasn’t just for looks, but also allowed tall items to be loaded, albeit exposed to the elements. Even the front seats can be folded flat to give enough room to shove in a small dirt bike. As for the dashboard, it looked pretty close to production and didn’t have much in the way of wacky concept car details.
No specific engine details were published, but it did use a 2.0-liter unit mated to an all-wheel drive system, possibly derived from the Celica All-Trac. The engine is likely from the Toyota S family that powered an array of Celicas, Coronas, and Camrys at the time.
Toyota
From RAV Four to RAV4
It’s safe to say that the reception towards the concept was positive. It took Toyota five years to roll out the production model featuring toned-down styling, a more sober interior, and a new name: RAV4. Okay, it’s not totally new, but at least it was shorter.
The front end looked totally different, but one can see the influence of the concept from the base of the windshield to the back. It’s more obvious with the three-door version, of course. We do have to say that the tail light arrangement on the RAV4 has a touch more character and distinctiveness over the concept model.
Toyota
Japan got its hands on the RAV4 in May 1994, and the more practical (but less fun-looking) five-door followed in March 1995. It proved popular with Japanese customers and soon made its way around the world, eventually landing in the US in 1996.
The RAV4 certainly got the ball rolling, as Honda responded with the CR-V in October 1995, while Subaru followed suit in February 1997 with the Forester. By the new millennium, most of its compatriots had compact crossovers, and even the Europeans and Americans wanted in on the then-growing segment.
Today, it’s unimaginable for any automaker not to have a crossover in their respective ranges. Crossovers now come in different shapes and sizes, branching out into different categories and price brackets. But we can all credit the RAV4’s success to making it all happen, and it all started with a funky Jeep-like concept from 1989.
Toyota
Toyota
