Toyota RAV4 achieves one crore global sales milestone

- One crore units of Toyota RAV4 were sold in 26 years

- Currently in its fifth generation

Toyota never sold the highly-successful RAV4 in India. But this mid-size Japanese SUV has managed to cross the one crore global sales mark in its 26 years of service. In its fifth generation now, the RAV4 is sold across global markets including Japan, Europe, America, Australia and South-East Asia.

The RAV4 made its debut in Japan after being showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in 1994. It went on sale in Europe in the same year and entered North America in 1995. The name RAV4 stands for “Recreational Activity Vehicle: 4-wheel drive”. It was aimed at car buyers looking for an SUV but with practical cabin and an option of four-wheel-drive in a compact package. This formula worked for Toyota with sales increasing ten folds with each passing year. Toyota sold more than 5.1 lakh units in 2019 alone.

When it was introduced, Toyota planned a production run of 4500 units each month. But the RAV4’s increasing popularity meant the Japanese carmaker had to bump the number to 8000 in its first month itself. Apart from the three-door and five-door body style, the RAV4 also came with a two-door soft-top body style in its first-generation. Toyota introduced many engine options and FWD layout making it accessible to a wide variety of customers across the world. Now, the SUV also gets a pure hybrid powertrain which accounts for around 20 per cent of all sales.

The North American market is the major contributor to the RAV4’s sales. With a plethora of engine and powertrain options, well-appointed interiors, a slew of the safety net and Toyota’s undying reliability factor, it won’t come as a surprise when the RAV4 smashes more sales milestone in the coming years.