► Next-generation Toyota RAV4 breaks cover
► More interior technology, extra safety equipment
► Improved hybrid system and longer EV driving range
The current Toyota RAV4 has been around since 2019, which means it’s nearing the end of its life. For its first four years on sale, it was the default choice those looking for a large, dependable, hybrid-powered SUV. But the last two years haven’t been kind to the car. Its interior has dated quickly and its hybrid tech has been leapfrogged by fresher rivals, such as the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid.
Toyota obviously isn’t best chuffed about losing its crown, so the brand has given us an early preview of what it hopes will restore the market to order. This is new, sixth-generation RAV4 – and it promises better interior technology, more safety equipment and a pair of upgraded plug-in hybrid powertrains with bigger battery packs and longer electric ranges.
It won’t reach UK showrooms until 2026, which means Toyota hasn’t even thought about releasing pricing information yet. However, when it does eventually reach Britain, I reckon the most basic self-charging model will have a starting price of around £38,000, shunting into roughly the same bracket as the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson hybrids. Scroll down to learn more about the car.
No V8s, I’m afraid. It’s business as usual over at Toyota. Like before, the new RAV4 comes with a range of self-charging and plug-in hybrid powertrains, all of which are based on the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the outgoing car. To make sure they’re competitive, though, Toyota has revised all the electrical gubbins supporting them.
There are two self-charging hybrids – a front-wheel drive model with 181bhp and a four-wheel drive model with 188bhp. Above that, there’s a new 264bhp front-wheel drive plug-in hybrid powertrain, before you arrive at the top-spec 300bhp four-wheel drive PHEV. Toyota hasn’t yet confirmed fuel economy figures, but the brand’s making some big promises.
Plus, the RAV4 PHEV’s battery capacity has increased by 30% from 18.1kWh to 22.7kWh. Toyota says that change has bumped up the car’s maximum electric driving range from 46 miles to 62 miles. The battery also now supports 50kW DC rapid charging, meaning you can thrash it from 10 to 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes at an EV charging station.
If that isn’t enough, Toyota reckons the new RAV4 will be much better to drive than the outgoing car, as its battery pack is mounted under the floor of the cabin (like an EV) rather than being slung over the rear axle. That means better structural rigidity, better weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity.
The new RAV4 shares the same rough layout as the previous car, but it’s decorated in fresh buttons and trims pilfered from the far newer Land Cruiser. There’s also a new 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with built-in maps and native warnings for speed cameras and low-emissions zones – useful if you’re trying to make the most of the car’s EV range.
You get a fresh 12.9-inch infotainment system – and it seems Toyota’s engineers took heed of our complaints about the dangers of touchscreen-led climate controls when they were designing it. There are physical buttons under the screen for adjust the cabin temperature and a fixed hot bar at the bottom of the screen for the fan speed and direction controls.
There’s a new voice command system that it says can programme navigation instructions, adjust the cabin temperature, change whatever media you’re listening to and perform ‘vehicle control commands,’ such as opening the windows.
The new infotainment hardware is backed up by Toyota’s latest ‘Arene’ software. It marks the beginning of the company’s shift towards software-defined vehicles – and it’s enabled the launch of a faster, more streamlined version of Toyota’s in-car safety suite.
Unlike the previous RAV4, this new model will feature front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist and a pre-collision system that can recognise bicycles and motor bikes. In addition, Toyota has bolstered its blind-spot monitoring system with a warning buzzer that’ll sound if it senses a car approaching quickly from behind.
Toyota has retained its flagship, race-inspired GR Sport trim level for the Mk6 RAV4. The car in these images wears the spec, sporting a 20mm wider track, firmer dampers, stronger rear bracing and retuned power steering. Toyota says these adjustments will make the car more ‘dynamic’ to drive.
But this is the modern world, in which it’s pointless to own the range-topping model if bystanders can’t tell you’ve spent the extra money. So, the GR Sport also gets a more aggressive front bumper with a broader grille, lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels, black exterior trim and more GR Sport badges than you shake a chequered flag at.
The cabin gets the same race-inspired treatment with a pair of sports seats, suede upholstery, a set of aluminium pedals and knee pads for the centre console, which are supposedly there to prevent you from pummelling your patella into a powder when you’re hammering down a country road.
There’s one more thing worth flagging. As I mentioned above, the new RAV4 won’t reach UK showrooms until 2026. So, if you’re not the sort of person to gravitate towards the newest, shiniest trinkets like a magpie, watch out for some screaming deals on the outgoing car over the coming months as Toyota clears its showrooms for the new model.
Luke is the Deputy Editor of our sister site Parkers, but he spends plenty of time writing news, reviews and features for CAR. He's been a motoring journalist since 2018, learning his craft on the Auto Express news desk before joining the Parkers/CAR team in 2022. When he isn't yoked to his laptop, he's tearing his hair out over his classic Mini restoration project or pinballing around the country attending heavy metal gigs.
By Luke Wilkinson
Deputy Editor of Parkers. Unhealthy obsession with classic Minis and old Alfas. Impenetrable Cumbrian accent
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