Plano, TX – Toyota dramatically upgrades its RAV4 lineup for 2026. Already the top selling utility vehicle of an size in the U.S., the compact CUV’s lineup will further entice customers with an improved plug-in hybrid variant with greater range than today’s model and an upgraded hybrid system.
All ’26 RAVs will be electrified with no 100% internal-combustion engine variant offered. The Japanese automaker has been turning many of its top sellers into hybrid-only vehicles, including the Camry sedan, Land Cruiser SUV and Crown. “We lose a few customers who don’t want HEVs, but we gain more than we lose,” Cooper Erickson, senior vice president of product, battery electric vehicles and mobility planning tells WardsAuto.
With this shift to hybrid-only models, coupled with its long history of retailing hybrids – dating back to summer 2000 with the launch of the first-generation Prius, Toyota has become far and away the hybrid sector sales leader in the U.S. Wards Intelligence data shows the automaker’s various hybrid models accounted for 51% of total U.S. hybrid sales last year of 1.62 million.
Meanwhile, the RAV4 has supplanted the Camry midsize sedan as not only Toyota’s No.1 U.S. seller but it also has become the top-selling non-pickup truck in the U.S. in recent years. It was the No.3 best-selling vehicle among total U.S. new light vehicles in 2024, with 475,000 sales, per Wards Intelligence data, trailing only the No.2 Chevy Silverado (550,000) and No.1 Ford F-Series (706,000). The hybrid and PHEV variants of the existing RAV4 have been particularly in demand, with the former accounting for nearly half (208,000) of last year’s total RAV4 U.S. sales and its volume rising 57% from 2023.
Toyota is also introducing two new trims to the RAV4 lineup; a Woodland package that has a higher ground clearance, more off-roading features and side body cladding; and the first-ever Sport trim in the RAV lineup, developed with Gazoo Racing, with GR tuning, a PHEV powertrain and exterior styling tweaks.
“At Toyota, customer choice is paramount,” David Christ, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division, says in a statement. “With three distinct styles, two highly efficient electrified powertrains, and available front-or all-wheel drive, the all-new RAV4 offers something for everyone.”
PHEV RAV4
The new Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) system debuting on the ’26 RAV4 a 2.5L, 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors and high-capacity traction battery. For the new system, Toyota has adopted silicon carbide semiconductors in the front axle to achieve miniaturization and high efficiency, the company says. This change, in combination with the larger battery, increases the CUV’s total all-electric range to 50 miles (24 km) on battery alone. The current ’25 RAV4 PHEV achieves up to 42 miles (68 km) AER.
The PHEV propulsion system expands from two to four model grades in model year 2026, with the Woodland and GR SPORT models joining the previously available SE and XSE. All PHEV models will have standard AWD. The PHEV XSE and Woodland grades will have DC fast charging, capable of charging from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes.
The latest PHEV system also adds output, with up to 320 combined system net hp churned out, up 18 hp over the outgoing system.
The HEV system on the ’26 RAV4 increases output over the prior generation, climbing to 236 combined system net hp on AWD models, compared with 219 combined system net hp previously.
The RAV4 HEV will also be available in FWD for the first time, and will have 226 combined system net horsepower, a 23 hp improvement over the prior generation’s 203-hp FWD gas model.
Exterior
The updated “core” RAV4 has a paint-matched grille, with Toyota’s signature hammerhead front end, wide overfenders with black cladding and an ascending belt line with creased body panels. Wheel combinations vary, with 17-, 18-, or 20-inch wheels available, depending on the grade.
The RAV4 GR SPORT prioritizes handling, with a GR-tuned suspension and power steering, enhanced body rigidity, and summer tires on unique 20-in. will be exclusively available with a PHEV powertrain and has a GR Functional MATRIX grille, along with front and rear wing-type spoilers for aggressive styling.
Towing and Utility
An increase in towing capacity on specific AWD grades adds to RAV4’s overall utility. The HEV XLE, SE, XSE, Limited and PHEV SE, XSE, and Woodland grades with AWD, will be capable of towing up to 3,500 lbs. (1,588 kg). All FWD models and the LE AWD model will have a 1,750-lb. (794-kg) towing capacity.
Interior
The 2026 RAV4’s center stack groups various functions together, like the touchscreen display, drive mode selection, and storage for a reorganized space while the center console combines the shifter, cupholder with a removable divider, and arm rest/storage bin with a two-way closure. On select grades, the cockpit adds Toyota’s new shift-by-wire system, with a toggle switch.
A new, slim 10.5-in. (26.7-cm) or available 12.9-in. (32.8-cm) touchscreen and digital HVAC controls are a new feature integrated into the bottom of the touchscreen display. Across all grades, a new, standard 12.3-in. (31.2-cm) digital gauge cluster will give drivers customizable options and integrated multimedia information. A head-up display will be available on the Limited (HEV) and XSE.
A six-speaker audio system will be standard, and a nine-speaker JBL Premium Audio system will be available, depending on the grade.
The upgrades look timely for Toyota, which is the top automaker by sales volume in the world. The North American PHEV sector is expected to reach 1.6 million units by 2030, up from 290,000 units in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Toyota is the leader in HEVs and PHEVs at a time when other automakers like General Motors, Ford and Honda are behind Toyota hybrids and are trying to rush more into production plans to offset slowing battery-electric vehicles sales. While it continues to focus on hybrids, Toyota in 2026 is also introducing three new BEVs off its all-electric platform, which it co-developed with Subaru in which it owns a 20% stake—The bZ, bZ Woodland and CHR.
