SUV Of The Day: January 27, 2012

Today's car of the day is Pioneer's 1997 Toyota RAV4.

The Toyota RAV4 is a Crossover SUV from Toyota. It was the first compact crossover SUV, introduced in Japan and Europe in 1994 and beginning sales in North America in 1996. 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 and better fuel economy of a smaller car. Its name stands for "Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive", although not all RAV4s have four-wheel drive, which is optional in some countries. The early success of the RAV4 paved the way for other compact SUVs such as the Ford Escape and the Subaru Forester.
In most countries, the RAV4 is the only compact SUV from Toyota. In other markets, it is the crossover counterpart of the FJ Cruiser. Since the 2006 third generation model, Toyota has offered both short- and long-wheelbase versions of the RAV4. Short-wheelbase versions are retailed in Japan and Europe, with Australia and North America receiving the long-wheelbase versions. Toyota in Japan also sells the longer version as the Toyota Vanguard.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Toyota RAV4

Not the greatest model, and the paint scheme is horrible, but the RAV4 is not seen in diecast frequently.

The RAV4 was originally based on the Corolla platform, and was offered in both two- and four-door versions. In the US, a 2.0 L straight-4 producing 89 kW (120 hp) was offered. Both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive were available, and the RAV4 could be had with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. It was named the 1997 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine. In 1998, the RAV4 was slightly restyled on the front and rear fascias, and a soft-top two-door was made available. Power was increased slightly to 95 kW (127 hp). In 1999, the two-door hardtop was dropped from the American lineup, leaving the 4-door and soft-top models. In Japan, the 2.0 L 3S-GE BEAMS engine with 132 kW (177 hp) was also available.