Toyota will release an all-new version of its best-selling RAV4 SUV for model year 2026, available as a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
The automaker today revealed a fully redesigned RAV4, the sixth generation to wear the name. It wears a rugged look and offers sporty and off-road trims for the first time. But the big news is what’s missing.
The purely gas-powered RAV4 is gone, continuing a trend Toyota started with its Camry midsize sedan and Sienna minivan.
Toyota has not yet discussed pricing. The 2025 RAV4 in showrooms now starts at $30,645.
America’s Best-Selling SUV
A new RAV4 is big news. Toyota’s compact SUV is now America’s third-best-selling vehicle, having achieved the nearly impossible last year by knocking a pickup truck (the Ram 1500) out of the top three.
More Choices Than Ever
Toyota advertises the new RAV4 as offering two available powertrains, three distinct styles, and seven trim levels. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) setups give shoppers a lot of choices, and dealers a lot of models to try to keep in stock.
Rugged, Boxier Look
Boxy is in this year, as most SUV designers have opted to design their latest models with a ruler and ban the curve. The new RAV4 is the most rugged-looking RAV4 ever. You could almost believe it was a future Subaru Forester.
Raised ridges to the sides of the hood look borrowed from the Ford Bronco Sport. It wears the same thin, bracket-shaped daytime running lights as the Camry and Prius, but otherwise represents a new design direction for Toyota.
Three Faces
Toyota calls its three designs Core, Rugged, and Sport.
The Core model gets a paint-matched grille, black fender cladding, and “an ascending belt line with chiseled body panels.” It will be offered for sale on the LE, XLE, and Limited trims.
The Rugged style comes only on the new Woodland trim. It features a slightly raised front end with a black split upper and lower grille. It sits half an inch higher for added ground clearance and gets standard roof rails with crossbars.
The Sport design scheme comes on the SE, XSE, and the new GR Sport edition. It has a matrix grille and front and rear spoilers.
Two Powertrains
With no purely gas-powered model, even the least-powerful 2026 RAV4 boasts some impressive specifications. The hybrid edition gets 226 horsepower on front-wheel-drive (FWD) models and 236 hp on all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions. Those use a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor.
Plug-in hybrid versions use the same engine paired with two electric motors, good for 320 hp. Toyota estimates they can travel up to 50 miles on electric power alone before using any gas.
Toyota plans to eventually offer PHEV models with the Tesla-style North American Charging System (NACS) port. But the 2026 RAV4 will launch without it. The Woodland and XSE grades will get a CCS-style plug that gives them access to DC fast charging stations.
SE and GR-Sport editions get only the J1772 port, letting owners charge them from Level 2 stations but not fast chargers.
It’s a bit much to keep straight. We’ll put it in table form in case that helps:
| Trim Level | Body Style | Hybrid Available? | PHEV Available? | Drive Wheels |
| LE | Core | Yes | No | FWD or AWD |
| XLE | Core | Yes | No | FWD or AWD |
| SE | Sport | Yes | Yes | FWD or AWD |
| XSE | Sport | Yes | Yes | AWD |
| Limited | Core | Yes | No | AWD |
| Woodland | Rugged | Yes | Yes | AWD |
| GR Sport | Sport | No | Yes | AWD |
Woodland, GR Sport Models
Toyota will offer two specialist trims of the new RAV4, including an all-new variant.
The Woodland edition is a light off-roader and returns for this new generation of RAV4. It sits half an inch higher and comes with standard all-terrain tires. A roof rack and 1 1/4-inch activity mount increase its carrying capacity, while all-weather floor mats should help you keep its carpets clean.
The all-new GR Sport edition, Toyota says, was “designed with input from the Toyota Gazoo Racing engineering division.” Changes include a GR-tuned suspension, tighter steering, and enhanced body rigidity. It ships with wide-tread summer tires. Unique blue stitching helps set its cabin apart. It marks the first GR RAV4.
Minimalist Cabin
Inside, the new look is simplified. A central touchscreen — 10.5 inches or 12.9, depending on trim level and options — handles most infotainment functions.
Some manufacturers now build climate controls into the touchscreen, while others give you old-fashioned buttons. Toyota has split the difference by running digital HVAC controls along the bottom of the touchscreen, supplemented by a few buttons for temperature and defrost functions.
The driver sees a 12.3-inch digital screen regardless of trim level.
The software powering the screens was created with Arene, Toyota’s new software development platform. This should enable over-the-air updates. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the system can maintain connections to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
“Seating surfaces will range from fabric to SofTex,” Toyota’s own brand of faux-leather, “with available seating colors like black, light gray, or the new Mineral color on the Woodland.”
Something for Everyone
The RAV4 became America’s best-selling SUV with far fewer choices. So many options should entice even more buyers to consider Toyota’s best-selling model.
But it enters the most hotly contested segment of the automotive market, as compact SUVs have become America’s family cars of choice.
Toyota dealers today have the tightest inventory in the auto industry. The brand’s hybrids have grown so popular that some buyers in some parts of the world have had to wait months to receive cars they’ve ordered. Toyota wouldn’t launch a hybrid-only RAV4 without a plan to handle that problem. But we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s hard to get a hold of some combinations of powertrain, style, and options for the first few months.
The 2026 RAV4 reaches dealers “later this year,” the company says.