Toyota RAV4 GR Sport 2026 Review

Image isn’t the only way the Toyota RAV4 GR Sport breaks new ground, as at $66,340 plus on-road costs (ORCs) this is the most expensive RAV4 ever. This is $6000 more than the flagship hybrid Cruiser eFour, while the other plug-in hybrid RAV – the XSE – is available for $59,515 plus ORCs in 2WD guise and $64,015 plus ORCs as an AWD.

Fellow PHEVs between $60K-$70K include the Mazda CX-60, Cupra Formentor, Volkswagen Tiguan and Tayron, Skoda Kodiaq, Mitsubishi Outlander and Omoda 9, while cheaper options include the BYD Sealion 6, Geely Starray EM-i and GWM Haval H6.

The only option is premium paint (any colour other than black) at $675, while capped-price servicing costs $1625 over the first five visits, required every 12 months or 15,000km. It’s worth noting that Toyota doesn’t offer complimentary roadside assistance, however, so you’ll need to budget between $99-$139 per annum to add this.

Let’s deal with the mechanicals first, as the Toyota RAV4 GR Sport is more than just a badge exercise. PHEV RAV4s score larger brakes – 328mm front discs with two-piston calipers and ventilated rears rather than the 305mm discs and single-piston calipers with solid rears of the hybrid – and the GR Sport adds 20mm wider tracks, a rear brace, front lateral performance damper and bespoke tunes for the steering and suspension.

The specification is slightly odd, as the GR Sport adds a head-up display, premium nine-speaker stereo and kick sensor for the power tailgate over the XSE but loses front seat ventilation and driver’s memory. It also misses out on the panoramic roof, leather-accented interior and heated rear seats of the Cruiser eFour.

Nevertheless, you still get 20-inch wheels, a tilt-and-slide moonroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, eight-way power-adjustable front seats and dual-zone climate control. Not quite fully loaded, but certainly all the basics and then some.

All Toyota RAV4s are currently without an ANCAP safety rating. This is due to the RAV4 originally being engineered for testing under the 2025 protocols before delays meant it would fall under the stricter 2026 criteria, so Toyota has delayed this until engineering changes are made to ensure it scores the full five stars. What those changes are, it won’t say.

This isn’t to imply it is unsafe, as it has plenty of airbags and the full complement of active driver aids, which are generally nicely unobtrusive in daily driving. Bar the driver monitoring, that is, which is incredibly overzealous, difficult to turn off and can’t be turned off on the move. Hopefully this is one of the updates for when it undergoes ANCAP testing.

A 12.9-inch infotainment screen sits in the middle of the Toyota RAV4 GR Sport’s dash featuring wireless smartphone mirroring and plenty of connected services, though Toyota is certainly leaning into the subscription business model.

Emergency Connect is complimentary and valid for as long as the 5G network lasts, including automatic collision notification in addition to vehicle information, a drive recorder (which can be triggered by enthusiastically taken speedbumps) and Ampol fuel discounts through the Toyota smartphone app.

Connect+ includes Remote Connect, a Digital Key, stolen vehicle tracking and guest driver alerts and is complimentary for one year, after which it costs $9.95/month. Connected Multimedia is included for six years with live navigation updates and a voice assistant, after which it will be $12.50/month.

Connected Streaming really only offers the ability to use a native Spotify account, which seems a bit redundant with smartphone mirroring, so it’s difficult to see many people stumping up $12.50/month once the three-month complimentary subscription lapses.

One odd quirk of the Toyota’s infotainment system is an irritating propensity to cut out momentarily when passing overhead toll gantries, resulting in a few seconds of music or a podcast being missed.

Device charging is well catered for, however, with five USB-C ports dotted around the cabin, the front two being faster 45W units, in addition to dual wireless charging pads.

Many Australians are well versed in Toyota’s parallel hybrid setups, but the RAV4 now introduces a plug-in hybrid setup. This teams a 105kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 151kW front electric motor and a smaller 41kW electric motor on the rear axle. Total system output is a healthy 227kW.

Never mind the official combined fuel consumption claim of 0.7L/100km. Of more importance is the generous 113km claimed electric range thanks to a 22.7kWh battery pack. In typical urban use you should also get pretty close to this, or at least to around 100km.

The battery will accept up to 11kW AC or 50kW DC charging, the latter filling it from 10-80 per cent in 28 minutes, but equally I plugged it in each night to a standard domestic power point, which had no trouble topping it up overnight.

With a depleted battery, highway fuel use is around 5.0-5.5L/100km, or a very similar number to a conventional RAV4 hybrid, with the 55-litre tank providing a range of around 1000km or so, though 95 RON premium fuel is now mandated.

Perhaps the first thing many will notice about the Toyota RAV4 GR Sport is that it backs up its athletic looks with a serious turn of speed. The 0-100km/h claim is a swift 5.8 seconds and it offers smooth and forceful acceleration both away from a standstill and during overtaking.

It also steers with reasonable fluency and has competent enough handling with sufficient grip for its intended audience. Before long, however, some cracks start to appear. Most noticeable is the mild but insistent surge that occurs when the RAV4 switches between EV and hybrid operation.

On a highway drive with a low state of charge in the battery, this will happen frequently and can give the sensation of mild seasickness. The GR Sport’s firm ride can also be an irritation, not so much in an urban environment where it sits just on the right side of acceptable, but the constant skipping and fidgeting on a poorly surfaced country road can grow tiresome.

No-one is likely to drive a RAV4 GR Sport with particular verve, which is just as well as it all comes apart pretty quickly. With only 41kW of its combined 227kW going to the rear wheels, it taxes the front tyres very heavily. The traction control does a good job of mopping up the excess but works very hard in wet or slippery conditions.

The Toyota RAV4 GR Sport ticks the fundamental boxes for a mid-size SUV. A high-set driving position that personally I wish went lower but the target buyer will probably appreciate, a sizeable 655-litre boot (with 1500W inverter) even with a space-saver spare under the floor, decent room for children or adults in the second row and a logical layout to the dash with plenty of physical buttons remaining.

The colour scheme is overwhelmingly sombre and there are some quality concerns, noticeably the centre console bin lid that feels extremely cheap (though it does open to both sides, which is handy) and a dash that flexes should your knee press against it. For a $70,000-odd SUV, it doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence, even if the bare bones are likely to be quite hardy.

Let’s deal with this specific variant first. The Toyota RAV4 GR Sport looks great, its drivetrain is enjoyably potent and it still ticks enough of the sensible Toyota boxes that it won’t be a surprise to see plenty on Australian roads.

However, the terse ride, lack of fluency in the powertrain, missing equipment and price premium conspire to make this a difficult car to recommend. It’s not bad, but there were plenty of irritations that made themselves known on a daily basis.

There is a case for the RAV4 PHEV, but it’s a niche one. Those with home charging that can make the most of the useful 100km-plus EV range, but who still need the flexibility of the petrol engine for long trips, will benefit from its unique range of talents.

For everyone else, they should do what they’ve done in their tens of thousands in the past few years and just buy a regular RAV4 Hybrid.

2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport at a glance:
Price: $66,340 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric; dual electric motors
Electric output: 151kW/272Nm front; 41kW/123Nm rear
Engine output: 105kW/227Nm
Combined output: 227kW
Transmission: CVT
Battery: 22.7kWh lithium-ion
Range: 113km (WLTP claim)
Energy consumption: 19.1kWh/100km (WLTP claim)
Fuel: 0.7L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 16g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

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