Looking Back at the Toyota Revo

Young ones may not believe it, but there was a time when you couldn’t get through a day without seeing a Toyota Revo on the road. Offering minivan spaciousness, SUV ruggedness, and affordable pricing across the wide spectrum of available trims, the Revo Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) lorded over all other vehicles in terms of sales, becoming the country’s bestselling car from 1999 to 2004.

The birth of the Revo

When it was launched, the Toyota Revo was part of the Tamaraw FX family, but comparatively speaking, the Revo was a completely new vehicle, and its only resemblance to the all-around workhorse was in name alone. Shape-wise, the Revo possessed a more rounded, aerodynamic shape than its predecessors, with a more powerful powertrain lineup to boot. The early Toyota Tamaraw FX Revo was equipped with either a 1.8-liter OHV EFI gas engine or a 2.4-liter OHC diesel engine. There were five trims to choose from, starting with the entry-level DLX, the mid-levels GL, GLX and Sport Runner, and top-level LXV. The Revo's first incarnation lasted from 1998 to 2000.