The first generation CR-V or RD1 was Honda's first in-house designed sport utility vehicle by Hiroyuki Kawase. When the CR-V was introduced in Japan in October 1995 it was sold only at Honda Verno and Honda Primo dealerships and exceeded Japanese government's compact car regulations regarding exterior dimensions (maximum width of 1,700 mm (66.9 in), therefore incurred a more expensive annual road tax obligation. For the North American market, it was displayed at the 1996 Chicago Auto Show and went on sale in February 1997.