Video: 2026 Toyota RAV4 First Look: A Future Sales Supernova?

The Toyota RAV4 is all new for 2026, and that is very exciting, but it's not like Toyota had to even change a single lug nut on the old car to keep selling them in the hundreds of thousands, considering that in 2024 alone the RAV4 dethroned the Ford F-150 as the best selling passenger vehicle in the United States. So let's see what's new on the one, the only, the undefeatable Toyota RAV4. America's got hybrid hysteria, and the new RAV4 proves that. Folks just can't seem to get enough of the hybrid RAV4s with some buyers willingly paying markup to make sure their new Toyota crossover has got a big old battery pack. Good news on that front. This new generation is hybrid only, taking a page outta the current Camry's all-hybrid playbook. Furthermore, the ultra popular plugin hybrid model is expanded across more available trims, and you can get the standard non-plugin hybrid in front wheel drive for the first time. I know, big stuff. Regardless of if you plug in or not, all 2026 RAV4s pack the same 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder augmented by two motors and a battery pack. The latter obviously being larger on the plugin. The standard hybrid is similar to what you're gonna find in the Camry with 226 horsepower on the front-wheel-drive RAV and 236 horsepower on the all-wheel-drive, a step up across the board from the prior non-hybrid's 203 horsepower and the non-plugin hybrid's 219 horsepower. The plugin is only available in all-wheel drive. Pack in a potent 320 combined horsepower that, more importantly, translates to an estimated 50 miles of all-electric range. A bit frustratingly only the XSE and Woodlands trim have DC fast charging with the standard 10 to 80% charge, taking around 30 minutes. The plugin, SE and GR sport, meanwhile, are stuck charging at normal speeds. America's hybrid crazy, but we're also truck crazy. The last RAV was a clear step away from its soft, round crossover roots, so it's only natural this new one ramps up the rah! It's both more squared off and sleeker than before, though it's not too much of a departure from what customers expect. Inside, well, I think it looks great. It's clear that Toyota let its truck team have a hand in here with a general sense of chunkiness that is more in line with the current forerunner and Tacoma than the last gen. Generally speaking, we like the old RAV but was getting a bit long in the grill, especially on the inside. Just from a pure hands-on perspective, this is much improved from a material and presentation perspective. So, blocky. I dig it. Look at how these controls jut out from the dash. This bi-level shelf design. Switchgear is nice and textured at least on this woodland trim. Toyota's interiors are not necessarily known for having much personality, and I think this does a nice job of moving the needle forward in that regard. I reckon folks are gonna be happy. Standard and available tech is up. There's a new standard 10.5 inch infotainment display up from eight inches previously, and upper trims get a 12.9 inch screen up from the prior 10.5 inches. A 12.3 inch digital driver display is also standard model-wide. There is a lot of new trims and model organization to talk about. So previously the plugin hybrid could only be had in SE and XSE trims, both upper level trims in terms of equipment and pricing. The bad news is the already pricey plugin is unlikely to get cheaper. The good news is, however, is there's a number of new versions to pick from, including the all new off-road-oriented woodland trim and performance-focused GR Sport, in addition to the existing SE and XSE versions. Yeah, you heard me right, a performance RAV4. Now, that might seem goofy at first glance, but just consider how much 320 horsepower is in a vehicle of this size. And based on the stellar performance capabilities of the previous less powerful plugin, this thing is easily gonna be as fast as a hot hatch in a straight line. So while the GR doesn't get any extra power, I know, I know, it's got a whole cluster of go-fast hardware, like tuned suspension and steering, additional chassis reinforcement, summer tires, and would appear to be upgraded brakes based on the GR branding on the calipers. And of course there is tons of aggressive style touches here too with edges, blacked out trim, and interior accoutrements, like suede inserts, and red stitching. And to the surprise of no one, we've also gotten off-road-focused trim as well. Meet the RAV4 Woodlands. Now, this is best thought of as the return of the RAV4 TRD off-road, and, as such, it's got all sorts of your requisite casual off-roading gear that your kit that you might need, including this one and a quarter inch activity mount here in the rear for bike racks and such like that. Speaking of racks, we've got an actual functional roof rails with crossbars there. And, other than some trim-specific additional lighting in the front fascia, well, of course, you got these big old beefy all-terrain tires. No word yet on if the Woodland packs any additional offer of trail modes, suspension changes, or underbody protection. But seeing as this is more focused on active lifestylers than it is on rock crawlers, I think what you see is what you get. (upbeat music) I like the 2026 Toyota RAV4, and even if I didn't, y'all would still buy these in the millions. And I think folks will, considering that Toyota only gave the customer more, more, more of what it's been asking for. Now, pricing is still under wraps, but you can definitely expect it to be at least a little bit more than the outgoing vehicle. Now, we're gonna learn more about that and official EPA-rated fuel economy closer to the vehicles on sale date, which Toyota says is sometime later this year. And as soon as we know more, you can read all about it at cars.com/news. (upbeat music continues)