The Toyota Harrier (Japanese: トヨタ・ハリアー Toyota Hariā) is a mid-size crossover SUV sold since December 1997 by Toyota in Japan, and was exclusive to Toyopet Store Japanese dealerships. In export markets, the Harrier was rebadged as the Lexus RX from March 1998. At this stage, Toyota had yet to retail the Lexus brand to its Japanese customers.
The second generation model debuted in February 2003, along with the export Lexus version. The third generation Lexus RX arrived in late 2008, while the Harrier continued on in second generation form unchanged. Lexus had by now made its debut in Japan as an independent marque, thus the third generation RX was sold in the domestic market in the same livery as its export counterpart.
Toyota refreshed the Harrier in 2013, when it morphed into an independent model line constructed on a separate platform from the Lexus RX but retaining a visual link with the RX.
The Harrier is named for the eastern marsh harrier, a bird of prey common to Hokkaidō and northern Honshū called the chuki in Japanese, and an emblem depicting the bird in stylized profile can be found on the grille.
