2026 Toyota RAV4 teased

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 has been teased for the first time, with the Japanese car-maker announcing we’ll only have a short wait until the covers are pulled off the all-new sixth-generation mid-size SUV on May 21.

Already spotted in testing, the new Toyota RAV4 is a crucial model for Toyota to get right. Last year it was easily Australia’s best-selling mid-size SUV and the nation’s second-best-selling car, with 58,718 examples delivered after the Ford Ranger with 62,593.

If that’s not impressive enough, last year globally Toyota sold more than a million RAV4s, making it the world’s third-best-selling vehicle.

Expect the sixth generation to fall in line with the latest 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado when it comes to styling, continuing the fifth-gen version’s move to more rugged design cues.

Giving us a small glimpse of its cabin, it’s just possible to make out the new RAV4 will adopt a similar steering wheel to the Prado, although it gets the Toyota emblem rather than the retro ‘TOYOTA’ lettering.

There’s also a squared-off 4x4-style look and feel to the cabin architecture with its stepped dash, to better reflect the new model’s more rugged looks and feel.

In the centre of the dash is a much-larger 14.0-inch infotainment system that looks like it could be the one already available in the full-size Tundra ute.

Another large digital instrument cluster sits ahead of the driver, with both set to be powered by the brand’s latest software.

At the rear of the car, designers have given the new RAV4 boxy styling that will maximise space within and provide a deep and wide tailgate, further boosting the mid-size SUV’s appeal for families.

Like before, a GR Sport trim will also be offered – this time from launch – which should introduce bigger wheels and further design cues lifted from motorsport.

Beneath its more rugged skin, it’s thought the next RAV4 will be based on an upgraded version of the Toyota TNGA-K architecture that underpins the current car.

For Australia, expect the RAV4 to come with a full range of electrified powertrains centred around a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, with the unit mated to a CVT transmission.

Combined with an e-motor and a lithium-ion battery, both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are expected.

The most advanced versions will bag plug-in hybrid power that will sport a larger battery for an all-electric range of up to 100km.

What will be missing is an all-electric version, as it’s thought the TNGA-K platform does not provide sufficient room to package a big enough battery for the 500km-plus range expected of a mid-size all-electric SUV.

It’s still not known if Toyota Australia might be tempted to import the plug-in version of the next-gen RAV4, but an announcement is expected from the local outfit following the model’s official unveiling on May 21.

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