Toyota RAV4
We wouldn’t have compact SUVs without the Toyota RAV4; it wasn’t the first, but it was the first that did it right. The RAV4 was car based but it offered the great options that you’d expect out of a Toyota SUV. The fuel efficiency and relative durability made the SUV quite popular. Consumers who didn’t want a 4Runner now had a more practical option (via KBB).
Early RAV4 models even came with a removable top and a two-door version. The RAV4 was also one of the first SUVs to experiment with an EV setup. And the RAV4 EV was leased to consumers in very small quantities.