Toyota RAV4 GR Sport PHEV 2026 Review

Positioned in the RAV4 lineup only as a high-grade offering, either in XSE spec or range-topping GR Sport grade, the 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV range is priced from $58,840 plus on-road costs for the XSE 2WD, $63,340 for the XSE AWD, and $66,340 for the GR Sport AWD.

The latter is the focus of this first drive, and it comfortably beats out other top-spec PHEV rivals like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed Tourer ($74,490), and Mazda CX-60 Azami P50e ($81,990) on price. Chinese competitors like the BYD Sealion 6 and GWM Haval H6 PHEV are a different matter.

The RAV4 GR Sport justifies its $3000 premium over the XSE AWD by offering a unique suspension tune with sportier spring and damper rates, a rear suspension brace, front chassis damper, a 20mm increase in front and rear track, a unique electric power steering tune in Sport mode, a GR Sport bodykit with a fairly lairy rear spoiler, red brake callipers and 20-inch machined/black alloy wheels.

There are also a few more luxuries on the inside, including a head-up display, heated steering wheel, nine-speaker JBL audio system, eight-way power adjustable and heated GR Sport front seats, leather and suede upholstery with red contrast stitching, a low-profile transmission shifter, alloy pedals, digital rearview mirror, and an extra wireless phone charger in the centre stack, for a total of two.

Strangely, even the USB-C ports get an upgrade, with the front ports able to shunt out 45 watts apiece instead of the meagre 15 watts of the XSE’s charge ports.

The GR Sport shares its powertrain and electronic innards with the XSE AWD: a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 105kW/227Nm by itself, augmented by a 151kW/272Nm front electric drive motor and a 41kW/123Nm rear motor.

In between them sits a 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery, supplying enough energy for a WLTP electric-only range of 113km for the GR Sport and XSE AWD, or 121km for the slightly lighter XSE 2WD.

The mere fact that Toyota finally has a plug-in hybrid in its showroom is reason to celebrate. While some deride PHEVs as being “the worst of both worlds” when it comes to their approach to electrification, there’s no denying that for a good chunk of people eager to reduce their fuel burn – but not yet ready to commit to a full EV – a PHEV is an appealing middle ground.

And if we judge it in isolation of its price and competition, the 2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport makes for a pretty decent PHEV.

Its 112km EV range is more than just a token effort and should be more than enough for a couple of day’s driving for the average family, and it’s also equipped with a CCS2 plug for DC fast charging up to 50kW – more than a few PHEVs don’t have that capability, like Mazda’s CX-60, and it’s an important consideration if you want to keep the battery topped up when you’re away from home.

Furthermore, if you ask it to be exclusively electric by prodding the EV mode button on the centre stack, it will resolutely keep the combustion engine from lighting up – even if you floor it.

Ordinarily that might be an annoyance in some PHEVs with weak electric motor setups, but in dual-motor guise, the RAV4 PHEV has enough electric oomph to provide adequate zero-emissions performance.

Bring in the combustion side of the powertrain, and the full 227kW propels the RAV4 PHEV with vigor. With a believable 5.8-second 0-100km/h claim, it’s certainly brisk and a big step up from the 147kW of the regular hybrid AWD.

It just lacks any sense of drama – aural or otherwise – to its performance. At least ride comfort and handling is up to snuff, with crisp steering and good road manners making it an easy drive whether on highways, or a mountain road.

If you’re drawn to the 2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport because you feel like you’re missing some excitement in your life, maybe try skydiving instead.

There’s not enough mechanical differentiation to the XSE AWD to impart a substantially more athletic flavour, at least not one that matches the aggressive bodykit it wears.

Yes, the GR Sport’s got a unique suspension tune, but the difference between the two grades when driving them back-to-back is fairly hard to discern, with just a slightly firmer feel to the GR Sport and greater resistance to body roll, but the same slightly laggy powertrain response to pedal input, even in Sport mode.

It doesn’t help that they’re both on the exact same tyre – 235/50 R20 Bridgestone Alenza – so the GR has no meaningful benefit when it comes to roadholding. It also doesn’t help that in AWD PHEV form, the RAV4 is on the wrong side of the two-tonne mark.

There’s no real cleverness to the packaging, either. The rear seat is adequate but not especially spacious for the segment, while the boot is a genuine disappointment. Sure, it’s got a generous 655 litres of seats-up volume, but where are the bag hooks? Why are there no remote seatback release handles? How come the 1500W V2L household power outlet in boot is mounted upside-down? Only Toyota knows the answer to these mysteries.

We should also mention that our first drive of the RAV4 PHEV was brief and largely done under electric power, but as the battery ran down it seems that the last 15 or so percent of the battery capacity couldn’t be used in pure EV mode. Is Toyota’s claim of an electric-only range of 113km truthful, then? Further testing is required.

A Cupra Terramar VZ rival, this is not. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport might look like it spends a lot of time at the gym, but as a performance vehicle, it’s not much more special than the cardigan-wearing mid-strength RAV4 XSE.

But if we continue that comparison to that genuinely sporty Spaniard, the Toyota edges ahead in other areas. It might not corner like a Cupra, but the RAV4 GR Sport is faster from a standing start, has a far more human-friendly interior, cops a bigger boot space, can be run on cheap electricity, and is cheaper to buy.

And sure, while it’s three grand more than the XSE, that difference is also reflected in its more generous specification. Forget about performance pretensions, the GR Sport’s fatter standard equipment list is a better reason to select it over the XSE AWD.

Ultimately, its high price is likely going to be the sole deciding factor of its success in the market, and a challenge when Chinese rivals are selling their mid-size PHEV SUVs for significantly less coin. The product itself is certainly appealing, but is the price tag?

2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport PHEV at a glance:
Price: $66,340 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 105kW/227Nm (electric motor front: 151kW/272Nm, electric motor rear: 41kW/123Nm)
Combined output: 227kW
Transmission: CVT
Battery: 22.7kWh lithium-ion
Range: 113km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 19.1kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 0.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 16g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

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