The final and most powerful model, the "Hyper Sports Gear", was added in January 1997.ĭue to platform sharing with the longer Chariot, and the benefit of development time, many of the mechanical components from past Galant contributions with new mechanism improvements, the RVR is basically reliable and robust. In North America, a 2.4L (2,351cc) 101 kW engine was available on FWD versions, and standard on AWD versions at least as early as MY 1993. The mid-model sports model with a detuned type of turbo engine 4G63 is also carried on the Lancer Evolution its "X3" and "Super Sport Gear" and offered an optional sliding metal sunroof. Originally installed with a naturally aspirated 2.0L/1.8L petrol engine, it was later introduced with a diesel turbo engine model thereafter. Depending on seating arrangements, the rear seats can then produce a large enough interior space by sliding the seats completely forward, then extending the seatbacks completely flat. The optional sliding bench rear seats could accommodate three people, with the setup allowing rear seat passengers additional leg room by sliding the entire rear seat assembly back. When the entire bench was removed, the flat floor extended all the way from the back of the front seats to the rear hatchback door. The standard installed fixed position rear bench seat arrangement could accommodate three persons and the seatbacks had a 50:50 split: the reclining seat backs could be folded forward, flat upon the seats, and then the seat cushion could be detached at the rear and folded up and forward towards the front seats, leaving a flat floor for large cargo items. In the LHD models, which had the sliding door on the right side, an interlock prevented the door from opening too far when the fuel filler door was open. The fuel tank access door was on the right side for all versions sold internationally.
The rear windows on the longer Chariot did retract into the doors. The rear windows did not retract but were forward hinged. The Mitsubishi sliding door latched to a "B" pillar, whereas those of the Toyota and Nissan vehicles did not. Its tall wagon body style featured two rows of seats, equipped with a single rear door and, in all markets, a single sliding door on the passenger side. The RVR was essentially a second generation Mitsubishi Chariot (marketed in some markets as the Space Wagon) with a shortened chassis but sharing the components of the longer variant. The RVR logo no longer uses the inverted Cyrillic "Я" on the first letter. It does not feature a rear sliding door, due to the current perception that SUVs have conventional doors, and sliding doors are typically installed on family vehicles. It was released in Japan on 17 February 2010. The reintroduction of the "Sports Gear" RVR nameplate is an attempt to inherit the popularity of the first generation vehicle. Sales later declined, and the original RVR was discontinued in August 2002. The RVR had an especially good sales record in the beginning, even with the decline of the RV sales boom. This approach was similar to the one used by Honda when they introduced the Honda CR-V. It was a tall wagon with some off-road characteristics, targeting the "sports gear" or outdoor lifestyle market. It was also developed and released during Japan's " bubble economy", and gained popularity due to the convenience of a passenger side sliding door. Television commercials in Japan used Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as spokespeople. It had a convenient size passenger cabin and spacious 4–5 person capacity with a youth-oriented approach, making it appealing to young people.
In addition, the original logo had a Cyrillic Я on the first letter, so that it reads ЯVR. RVR is an acronym for "Recreation Vehicle Runner".
The cars were sold at the Mitsubishi Japan dealership chain called Car Plaza. The RVR was Mitsubishi's Recreational Vehicle debut during the Japanese economic boom. The first two generations were classified as compact multi-purpose vehicles (MPV), and the model introduced in 2010 is a subcompact crossover SUV. The Mitsubishi RVR is a range of cars produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1991 to 2002 and then from 2010 until present.