Toyota RAV4 launches in Oz without ANCAP rating

The new-generation 2026 Toyota RAV4 has launched in Australia without an official ANCAP safety rating, despite the car-maker’s claims it is the safest version of its best-selling family SUV yet.

The arrival of the new-generation Toyota RAV4 brings a surprising twist for a brand synonymous with safety, with Australia’s most popular SUV effectively entering the market with no independent safety rating.

Toyota Australia product planning specialist, Peter Phan, said the situation stems from the transition to stricter 2026 ANCAP protocols and the delay of the RAV4’s local launch – which was supposed to be late 2025.

“First off, the RAV4 that we're launching is actually the most, safest RAV4 we've developed,” said Phan.

“So of course, with the delay from production now to 2026, we need to meet the ‘26 ANCAP protocol.

“So the changes that we, of course, have to look into is that there will be some enhancements to the passive and active safety systems. But structurally, the vehicle will not change.”

Phan refused to be drawn on what particular aspects of passive and active safety require updating to attain a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

This creates a complicated scenario for Toyota’s substantial fleet and government customer base, many of whom require a five-star ANCAP rating at the point of purchase.

Despite the new RAV4 having over-the-air (OTA) updates, allowing its software to be upgraded at any time, Toyota Australia says the changes that will come in the second half of 2026 cannot be retrofitted.

That means any RAV4 purchased before the updated rating is secured later in 2026 will remain officially ‘unrated’ by ANCAP for its entire lifespan.

Toyota Australia sales boss John Pappas acknowledged the challenge but indicated customer confidence in the brand will help offset concerns.

“We've communicated with our customers end of last year and through obviously our dealer network that our cars aren't [ANCAP] rated.

“But like Pete said, the [new RAV4] is the safest car we've ever had in terms of that, and we've seen very, very strong order intake right now,” said Pappas, referencing the 10,000 orders already on the books for Down Under.

For government and commercial buyers, however, the lack of a five-star rating right now remains a sticking point, potentially delaying procurement decisions.

“For any of those customers that have a five-star policy, like government, we're working with them when scheduling their orders,” said Pappas.

“But at the moment, a lot of our demand is in the private sector as well. So orders are really strong.”

Toyota now faces the unusual position of launching its flagship SUV without an ANCAP score, while working toward compliance with future testing protocols.

The ‘Big T’ brand says it expects to receive its official five-star rating in the second half of 2026.

The brand is betting that its longstanding reputation for safety and quality will sustain buyer confidence until an official rating is awarded under the 2026 criteria later this year, following Euro NCAP testing in Europe – to which ANCAP shares and adopts scores.

In the meantime, private buyers are expected to carry sales momentum, while fleet and government customers may wait until the RAV4 secures a five-star result.

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