2026 Toyota RAV4 Goes Hybrid-Only, Adds PHEV GR Sport Version With 320 HP

Well, well, well, it’s finally here. Meet the 2026 Toyota RAV4. For a lot of enthusiasts, that’s going to be a big ole yawn, but it doesn’t get much more important than a new RAV4. After all, Toyota sold about 475,000 of them last year, and depending on how you count truck sales, the RAV4 was the best-selling vehicle in the U.S., as well. Sorry, Ford F-150.

And just like the latest Camry, the biggest news is that the new RAV4 is now only available as a hybrid. You still get the option of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and you can choose a regular hybrid or a more powerful plug-in hybrid, but if you specifically want a non-hybrid crossover, you’re going to have to go across the street and buy something else. This sixth-generation RAV4 also introduces a GR Sport trim level that brings boy racer design to a Toyota crossover for the first time, along with tuned handling.

For 2026, you get C-shaped headlights and a color-matched grille that give the front end a new look, even if you’ll still immediately recognize it as a Toyota. Behind the A-pillar, though, the shape is a lot more familiar, with flared fenders and boxy wheel arches that help sell the whole “rugged” thing. Thankfully, Toyota also didn’t go quite as far as Subaru in trying to make buyers feel like they could totally tackle Moab if they ever got out there, even if there’s a Woodland trim that offers more ground clearance and all-terrain tires, along with a different 4Runner-esque front end treatment.

Like a lot of Toyotas, it isn’t the most beautiful crossover on the road, but it’s still generally pretty good-looking and probably won’t alienate anyone who was actually interested in buying a new RAV4. And yeah, you can see some of the current RAV4’s influence in the design, but it still feels like Toyota did more than “just” give it a refresh. Expect it to drive pretty much like you’d expect from a RAV4, even if it’s now stiffer with fewer vibrations.

As previously mentioned, the powertrain is probably the biggest story here and not just because they’re all hybrids. That news is about as shocking as the RAV4’s design direction. RAV4 LE, XLE and Limited trims have a 2.5-liter inline-4 hybrid powertrain that makes 236 horsepower and an undisclosed amount of torque. Opt for the front-wheel-drive version of the LE or XLE, though, and you only get 226 hp. Sad.

Other trim levels such as the SE, XSE, and Woodland offer the same power output if you go with the regular hybrid powertrain, but they can also be ordered as all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrids that make 320 hp, up 18 hp over the outgoing generation. The range on the PHEV is also up to a Toyota-estimated 50 miles, which should more than cover daily errands for most people. The new GR Sport version of the PHEV doesn’t get any more power but offers a sportier look and should also handle better than the other RAV4s thanks to tuning allegedly developed with the Gazoo Racing team. 

Plus, the GR Sport has that rear wing, and you aren’t legally allowed to sell a car with a wing that isn’t legitimately fun to drive. Surely, Toyota wouldn’t risk arrest for selling a car with a wing that writes checks its sportiness can’t cash, right?

Inside you get bigger center screens, because of course you do. Currently, the fancy RAV4s offer 10.5-inch screens, while the more basic ones are 8.0 inches. The new RAV4 comes with a 10.5-inch touchscreen standard, with buyers of the Limited, XSE and GR Sport trims getting 12.9-inchers. The gauge display is also larger, growing from 7.0 inches with analogue gauges to a 12.3-inch all-digital display. As with the center touchscreen, Limited, XSE and GR Sport buyers get a larger, 12.9-inch driver display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard, too.

Those bigger center touchscreens also house Toyota’s latest infotainment system, which owners will probably appreciate. That said, considering the size of the largest screen option, anything on the right side of the screen will probably feel like quite a reach. You do get a volume knob and buttons for climate control, as well as physical buttons on the steering wheel, though, so that’s nice. We like knobs and buttons.

Toyota

The rest of the interior isn’t especially exciting. It looks comfortable and practical, with plenty of storage, but the design isn’t exactly anything to write home about. Did you really expect it to be, though? It’s a RAV4. The biggest design risk is probably the shifter, which is a small little lever, because shifting is now done electronically, although it seems like the Woodlands model will instead get a different, old-fashioned shift lever.

The highest trim levels will also offer a head-up display. Oh, and you also get the latest version of Toyota’s standard suite of safety features, known as Toyota Safety Sense 4.0.

How fun the RAV4 GR Sport will actually be to drive still remains to be seen, and you can expect it to cost a pretty penny, but 320 hp and GR handling should still make for a pretty enjoyable daily driver, epecially when you add in the 50 miles of electric range. And the promise of sportier steering, a sportier suspension, a stiffer chassis and summer tires suggests it may actually be pretty fun, all things considered.

Those who plan to tow with their new RAV4 will probably want to skip the front-wheel-drive models and the all-wheel-drive LE, because they’ll be limited to only 1,750 pounds. Other AWD trims will be able to tow 3,500 pounds, which won’t be enough to haul a train up a mountain but should be plenty for the things you might use a two-row crossover for.

There are still plenty of questions to be answered, from how much torque each version makes to what they’ll cost, but there you go. That’s the 2026 Toyota RAV4. Whether it tickles your fancy or not, get ready to see these things all over the place, because I guarantee Toyota’s going to sell eighty bajillion of them over the next couple of years after they first reach dealers later this year.