Test Drives
Published on January 23rd, 2019 |
by BajaBusta
1997 Toyota RAV4 Test Drive
The Japanese identified an untapped SUV market and rushed in with a variety of new sporty utilities. Among those was Toyota’s RAV4.
Its name stood for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD. Already a hit in Japan, the RAV4 went on sale in the U.S in late 1996, first as 3-door model and followed by the companion 5-door.
It was based on the Toyota Celica platform and included such car-like features as unibody construction, 4-wheel independent suspension, and an interior with dual air bags, seats for four adults, and a split folding rear seat. From the SUV realm it bought standar permanently engaged 4WD, 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and short front and rear body overhangs.
The engine was a 120-horsepower 2.0 liter 4-cylinder that mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic.
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