Toyota Harrier: the Lexus RX’s Japanese twin that became its own model

The Toyota Harrier is a five-seat crossover SUV produced in Japan since December 1997 and once sold only through Toyopet Store. For its first two generations it was the Japanese version of the Lexus RX; from 2013 it became a model of its own, and from 2020 it has also been sold in North America and China as the second-generation Venza.

Toyota Harrier at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Toyota Harrier.

History of the Toyota Harrier

Lexus RX twin (1997–2013)

The Harrier arrived in Japan in December 1997, at a time when Toyota had not yet launched Lexus in its home market. From March 1998 to December 2008 the same car was exported as the Lexus RX. The second generation, the XU30, debuted in February 2003 together with the export Lexus version. When the third-generation RX arrived in late 2008, it was separated from the Harrier: Lexus was by then an independent marque in Japan, and the RX was sold there in the same form as abroad, while the Harrier carried on in second-generation form, losing the 350G version that matched the RX 350.

An independent model (2013)

The third-generation Harrier, the XU60, was released in Japan on 2 December 2013 for petrol cars and 15 January 2014 for hybrids, replacing both the XU30 Harrier and the Vanguard. Unlike the RX, it was built on the XA40 RAV4’s platform and became a more road-oriented, upmarket alternative to the RAV4, comparable to the Lexus NX. Japanese trims were Grand, Elegance and Premium, with JBL audio and an eight-inch T-Connect screen on the top version, and special editions called Style Mauve and Style Ash. A June 2017 facelift dropped the Grand, made Elegance the base and replaced Premium with Progress, adding a 2.0-litre turbocharged 8AR-FTS engine with a six-speed automatic alongside the 2.0-litre 3ZR-FAE and the 2.5-litre hybrid. Toyota Safety Sense P became standard. It was the first Harrier officially sold outside Japan, in Singapore from July 2017 and Malaysia from November 2017.

Fourth generation and Venza

The XU80 was announced on 13 April 2020 and went on sale on 17 June 2020 on the same GA-K platform as the XA50 RAV4, 20 mm wider and with a 30 mm longer wheelbase but 30 mm lower. It comes in S, G and Z grades in Japan, without the turbo engine, and the grille emblem changed from the harrier bird to the Toyota badge. A plug-in hybrid joined the range in September 2022, sharing its system with the RAV4 PHEV, and a plug-in hybrid G grade followed in June 2025. In August 2026 the petrol and plug-in hybrid versions were dropped in Japan, leaving a hybrid-only line-up. In North America the car was unveiled on 18 May 2020 as the second-generation Venza, sold only as an all-wheel-drive hybrid from September 2020; China sells it under both the Harrier and Venza names.

Design and features

• Lexus RX origins: the first two generations were the Japanese RX.
• RAV4 platform: from 2013 the Harrier shared its underpinnings with the RAV4.
• Safety Sense P: standard across the range after the 2017 facelift.
• Venza: the 2020 generation is sold in North America as the second Venza.

Toyota Harrier versions

• XU10 (1997): first generation, exported as the Lexus RX.
• XU30 (2003): second generation, with a 350G version.
• XU60 (2013): independent model on RAV4 underpinnings.
• Turbo (2017): 2.0-litre 8AR-FTS with a six-speed automatic.
• XU80 (2020): fourth generation, also sold as the Venza.
• Plug-in hybrid (2022): RAV4 PHEV powertrain in the Z grade.

The Harrier began as the RAV4’s upmarket relative and shares its market with the Highlander and the Venza. More cars are in the Toyota collection.

Sources

• Toyota Harrier, English Wikipedia: generations, trims, markets