Back in the early 1990s, there was no middle ground between road-focused passenger cars and off-road capable, body-on-frame SUVs and pickup trucks. As such, consumers prior to 1994 had to choose between a comfortable but smaller vehicle or a large and tough vehicle that bounced around on the pavement.
The 3-door first-generation Toyota RAV4
During the aforementioned year however, Toyota came up with the 153T project. A model based on the Carina and Corolla platform, but rode high thus offering generous ground clearance, whilst offering a comfortable sedan-like ride.
Eventually, the 153T was developed to become the first-generation Toyota RAV4. The very first crossover vehicle model, which came out even before the term “crossover” was popularized.
Now mechanically, the RAV4 has undergone a lot of changes to get to where it is right now. It is now a compact crossover, but then the first model was a smaller subcompact crossover SUV.
Depending on the market, it either came in a 5-door configuration, a 3-door configuration, or as a soft-top 3-door convertible. For the Philippines, Toyota bought in the 5-door and 3-door versions. Specifically, the 3-door RAV4 variant was released first back in 1997, with the 5-door version following a year later in May 1998.
The 5-door and 3-door first-gen RAV4 versions side by side
Size-wise, the first-gen Toyota RAV4 was only a few millimeters wider than the Toyota Corolla that was sold in the same years. Both the 3-door and 5-door versions had a width of 1,695mm, a wheelbase length of 2,410mm, and a ground clearance of 190mm.
Comparatively, the said Toyota sedan had a width of 1,690mm, and a wheelbase length of 2,465mm. The 5-door RAV4 is even shorter than the Corolla with its 4,150mm length. The 3-door is even more so at 3,740mm.
With its compact size, the RAV4 offered the maneuverability of a sedan whilst having the stance and ground clearance close to an actual SUV. This of course made it popular in the local setting since road maintenance and road quality at that time wasn’t exactly the best for many parts of the country.
It's interior wasn't much of a looker, but it did offer durability and ease of use
As one might guess though, the smaller 3-door version didn’t have the passenger and cargo space that the 5-door offered. Regardless, both versions could seat up to five occupants each.
Speaking of the interior, both came with the usual 1990s car plastic bits, as well as those funky-looking fabric patterns. It was a simple, arguably durable, and an easy to clean interior with no frills. Then again, some niceties for the Philippine-spec version were offered.
These included an AM/FM audio system with a six-CD changer, manual air-conditioning, power windows and locks, a tilt-adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel, 2 airbags, and four speakers. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done.
The 3-door's rear end highlights the model's use of black plastic cladding
Tech-wise though, it was a fairly basic car that lacked certain amenities that are expected on modern vehicles. It didn’t come standard with a car alarm, nor did it have anti-lock braking or traction control.
Moving to the mechanical side of things, the first Toyota RAV4 variants in the Philippines used the 2.0-liter 3S-FE inline-4 gasoline engine. This was the same engine used by the 1987-1992 Toyota Camry, the automatic versions of the MR2 MK2, lower-spec variants of the Toyota Celica (fourth-gen onwards), among others.
On the Philippine-spec RAV4, the 2.0-liter 3S-FE was capable of making up to 120 horsepower and 169 Nm. It wasn’t a speed demon by any stretch, but for the size of the RAV4 and for that time, the torque was fairly generous.
The first-gen RAV4's 3S-FE inline-4 gasoline engine
As for transmissions, both the 3-door and 5-door first-gen RAV4 variants either came with a 5-speed gearbox, or a four-speed automatic tranny. Both then used a MacPherson strut front suspension and a trailing arm rear suspension.
For drivetrains, the first-gen RAV4 in the local market only came with four-wheel-drive. This drivetrain of course worked great together with the model’s high ground clearance when it came to dealing with slippery terrain and light off-road use.
While all of those are well and good, many people thought that the first-gen RAV4 looked strange. Mind you, for many people, seeing the RAV4 for the first time back then also meant seeing a crossover for the first time. To that end, many weren’t fans.
The 5-door Toyota RAV4
Like most Toyota models of the time, it kept a mostly angle-less design that meant to flow. On a sedan like the Corolla, sure it was graceful. On the first-gen RAV4 though, it felt “bulbous and awkward.” Many were also doubtful of the black plastic cladding that came on the RAV4. And yes, this model was among the first to use such an element on its exterior.
As a consolation though, the 5-door version appeared more proportional than the scrappy-looking 3-door.
Do you like how the first-gen Toyota RAV4 looks, or do you prefer the larger, subsequent models that replaced it? If you do, then check out our car for sale section for this model. And yes, many first-gen RAV4s can still be bought today, and plenty are in fair condition.
For more nostalgic car articles like this, keep it here on the Philippines’ largest automotive portal.