![]() However, these were all body-on-frame designs utilizing a truck platform. Other automakers had put out smaller versions of their more popular full and midsize SUVs. ![]() The First Generation: The Spark of a Revolution It is not an exaggeration to say that the Toyota RAV4 was one of the models that helped change popular tastes, pushing SUVs ahead of sedans and coupes. For whatever reason, the Toyota RAV4 staked out a place as a pioneer, introducing so many drivers to the joys of an SUV in a smaller model. What was it about the RAV4? Was it the rugged styling, with the iconic full-size spare on the rear tailgate? Maybe it had to do with the fact that it had the solid ground clearance of an SUV but handled more like a car since it was based on a sedan platform and not that of a truck. The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is the latest model in a vehicle that created the compact crossover category, dominating it since its introduction in 1996. Even rarer still is a model that creates its own category. These are the ones folks look back at wistfully while collectors bid up the few remaining vintage models left at auctions like Barrett-Jackson. Rarely does a model become an icon, continually standing out among its competitors, year after year. Sometimes, an automaker designs a car that proves to be popular for a few years, sells well on the market, and becomes profitable for the manufacturer.
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