Toyota RAV4

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, having sold over 10 million units by February 2020.^[2] In February 2025, the RAV4 replaced the Ford F-150 as the top selling car in the United States, after nearly four decades of the F-150's reign.^[3]

It made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994,^[4] and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 1996.^[5] 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 maneuverability of a mid-size car. The vehicle's name is an abbreviation of "Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive",^[6] or "Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4-wheel drive",^[7] 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.