In export markets, the Harrier was rebadged as the Lexus RX from March 1998 to December 2008.

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.

Starting at this point, it is considered as a more road-oriented and upmarket alternative to the RAV4, comparable to the luxury-class Lexus NX.

The Harrier is named for the eastern marsh harrier, a bird of prey common to Hokkaidō and northern Honshū called the chūhi in Japanese, and an emblem depicting the bird in stylized profile can be found on the grille until the XU60 model.

[3] Trim levels available in Japan include Grand, Elegance, and Premium for both the petrol and hybrid models.

The top-of-the-line Premium trim came with JBL GreenEdge audio with 8-inch T-Connect touchscreen entertainment system with navigation and sensing features.

In September 2022, the plug-in hybrid version was released in Japan in a sole Z grade level.

It was also launched in Malaysia on 8 April 2021, offered in a single Luxury trim paired with the 2.0-litre M20A-FKS engine and CVT.

The second-generation Venza for North American market is built alongside the Harrier in Japan at the Takaoka plant, as opposed to the first-generation model which was built in the United States at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.