Toyota RAV4 : 11 Things To Know About The Crossover SUV Pioneer, Including The ‘FunCruiser RAV4’ Model

Toyota RAV4 : 11 things to know about the Crossover SUV pioneer, including the ‘FunCruiser RAV4’ model and the Mitsuoka Buddy.

Last week on May 21, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) unveiled its new RAV4 to the world, with plans to successively roll out the new RAV4 to customers in over 180 countries and regions globally before the end of FY2025.

Following the reveal of the all-new sixth-generation Toyota RAV4, Autojosh has highlighted some of the things about the popular name-plate, known for inventing the Crossover SUV segment over three decades.

1) The world’s first recreational compact SUV

The first-generation RAV4 was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1994, pioneering a new segment for Compact, highly manoeuvrable SUVs.

2) Meaning of RAV4

The vehicle’s name is an abbreviation of “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive”, although not all models come equipped with the four-wheel drive system.

3) Other Name-plate

In other markets, RAV4 is known as Guangtong GTQ6440 in China Joint Venture (JV) and as Toyota FunCruiser RAV4 in the Netherlands.

4) Replaced F-150 as top selling car in the US

By February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4s had been sold globally. 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.

5) Suzuki-badged version

A Suzuki-badged version of the RAV4 PHEV called Suzuki Across is the first collaborative business agreement between Toyota and Suzuki. It was introduced in July 2020, exclusively for the European market.

6) World’s best-selling SUV in 2018 and 2019

More than a quarter of a century on from its debut, RAV4 was the world’s best-selling SUV in 2018 and 2019, and in 2019 was the fourth best-selling passenger car overall.

7) 15 million units sold worldwide to date

Since its 1994 introduction, more than 2.5 million have been sold in Europe and over 15 million units sold worldwide to date.

8) TNGA-based 5th-Gen RAV4

Launched in 2019, the fifth-gen RAV4 adopted a new platform based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA).

It was developed on the concept of a “Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4 Wheel Drive” – blending the power and utility of an SUV.

9) 1st-Gen RAV4 available as a 3-door and 5-door model

The first-generation RAV4, known as the XA10 series, was produced from 1994 to 2000 and was available as a 3-door and 5-door model – the latter launched in 1995.

10) Grades

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is available in the following Grades : Core Design (LE, XLE and Limited), Rugged Design (Woodland) and the Sport Design (SE, XSE and the all-new GR Sport).

11) Mitsuoka Buddy

A Japan-only aftermarket modified version of the RAV4, dubbed the Mitsuoka Buddy, made its debut in October 2020.

• See Also : This Head-tuning ‘Mitsuoka Buddy’ Is A Toyota RAV4 SUV In Disguise