Toyota Motor Corp. is looking back on 25 years of RAV4, the little crossover that introduced consumers to a grocery-getting alternative to the sedan and has since become one of the most popular vehicles on U.S. roads.
Over a quarter-century, the RAV4 has evolved into a versatile vehicle that offers a breadth of options to car buyers with varying priorities. It has two trims focused on value and efficiency—LE, XLE—as well as two higher-end trims—the XLE Premium and Limited—that can all be equipped with a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive. The exploration-oriented Adventure and TRD Off Road models provide edgier styling and specially-tuned suspension to weekend warriors. The sporty XSE hybrid and high-performance RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid offer fuel-sipping commuting with flair.
For 2022, the RAV4 will get a second dedicated hybrid model—the SE Hybrid—in addition to the XSE. Both are all-wheel drive only. The hybrid-only trim walk mirrors that of the RAV4 Prime, which also has an XSE and SE model. The SE Hybrid lowers the price of entry for customers that want the dependable eco-conscious powertrain. Pricing has not been announced for the new SE, but the 2021 XSE model costs $36,065, including a $1,215 delivery fee.
Both the XSE and SE get a new color—Calvary Blue—which also will be added to the TRD Off Road color palette this year. The SE has a 7-inch touchscreen, six-speakers and fabric-trimmed seats. A weather package adds a heated steering wheel and front seats as well as rain-sensing wipers with a de-icer function. An available convenience package layers on a moonroof, power liftgate and a larger 9-inch touchscreen.
Toyota also spiffed up the rest of the RAV4 lineup for 2022. Nearly every model gets a new wheel design or color, and the XLE and above get revised headlamps that improve style and capability. XLE Premium, Limited, Adventure and TRD Off Road get new fog lamps, and the XSE Hybrid now has the same vertical light design featured on the RAV4 Prime XSE. Every trim also gets a revamped interior with LED interior lamps and a locking glove box. Illuminated switches are now standard on XLE and up.
Every RAV4 is equipped with Toyota’s Safety Sense (TSS 2.0) suite of advanced driver-assistance technology, which includes a automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection (Toyota calls it a Pre-Collision System), adaptive cruise control (Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control), lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, lane centering (Lane Tracing Assist) and road sign recognition (Road Sign Assist). Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is standard on the higher grades. Front and rear parking assist with automatic braking is optional.
The new-for-2022 SE Hybrid and the other tweaks to the lineup are smaller than some of the big evolutionary changes that RAV4 has undergone over the years but do adequately represent how comfortable the compact crossover feels in its corner of the market.
For the past four years, RAV4 has been the crossover to beat. Segment stalwarts like the Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V continue to battle it out, but the RAV4 has maintained its position as the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. that isn’t a pickup truck. Last year sales of RAV4 topped 430,000 units. The CR-V ended 2020 with sales of just 333,500 and the Rogue only hit about 228,000, according to MotorIntelligence. Despite pandemic-related woes and chip shortages, Toyota has managed to squeak out sales of nearly 339,000 RAV4s through October 2021.
In the beginning, RAV4 wasn’t so sure of itself.
The first-generation RAV4 launched stateside in 1996 positioned as a compact, agile and versatile unibody SUV, but many Toyota insiders thought its structure and small size would not offer true utility compared with the rugged SUVs that dominated the U.S. market. It was 162 inches long—2 feet shorter than a Camry.
But the RAV4’s higher ride height, increased interior space and available all-wheel driveline made it a hit among young people’s active lifestyles. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine also offered impressive fuel efficiency and handling similar to a smaller sedan.
In 2000, the second-generation RAV4 stretched 168 inches long and added a larger four-cylinder engine as well as a diesel powertrain. The RAV4’s third generation debuted in 2006 with a 296-horsepower V6, which gave it a “fun-to-drive” personality, further differentiating it from an everyday sedan. Another growth spurt pushed its overall length to 181 inches—long enough to offer third-row seating. RAV4 also started to reach varying consumer tastes with three distinct trims: the value-oriented base, the more athletic Sport and the well-appointed Limited.
The fourth-generation RAV4 debuted in 2013 added a six-speed automatic transmission and new bold styling to match its segment-leading position. Two years later in 2016, Toyota gave the RAV4 an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain, which topped the charts in terms of fuel efficiency with an EPA-estimated 32 mpg combined.
The fifth- and current-generation RAV4 launched for the 2019 model year. Built on Toyota’s New Generation Architecture platform, the crossover boasted a confident design and a huge menu of variants that extended its appeal beyond urban and suburban buyers to outdoor enthusiasts with the TRD Off Road and Adventure. The new RAV4 Prime served up a best-in-class 42-mile all-electric range and a zero-to-60 time of 5.7 seconds.
Thirty percent of RAV4 buyers consumers choose the hybrid models and 7% select the RAV4 Prime, according to Toyota. Adding another more accessible hybrid model to the mix will offer even more choices and price points for differing buyers. The fifth-generation RAV4 might be the most well-rounded iteration. Perhaps Toyota will decide to resurrect the short-lived, all-electric variant that found itself too ahead of its time in 1997, but would fit comfortably in the 21st Century.
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