Toyota decided to get adventurous with the overall design of its best-selling compact SUV for 2026, and that undertaking is especially evident in 6th-generation RAV4 Limited Hybrid’s chiseled and highly functional Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award-winning interior.
For 2026, the RAV4 cabin swaps its softer, rounded edges, honed over five generations since it debuted in the U.S. in 1996, for decidedly sharper accessory controls and layout. The major makeover risked RAV4’s 479,000 sales that made it the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. in 2025, noted Gary Vasilash, a Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX judge.
“Although it might be thought there would be a tendency to be cautious — after all, who wants to risk huge sales — the interior designers and engineers made big, beneficial changes to the vehicle,” Vasilash said.
Rugged, upscale UX functionality
Climate controls, formerly round knobs dominating the middle of the center stack, are relocated to a row of hard buttons below the 12.9-inch touchscreen on the well-equipped $46,833 model we tested as part of Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX awards. That prime center stack real estate is now occupied by large, rectangular powertrain and drive mode buttons, putting those switches close at hand to allow quick changes to different drive settings, including off-road and EV-only.
“With its large, blocky controls combined with a sleek overall design and high-quality materials, there’s a rugged yet luxurious aesthetic that simply works here,” observed judge Dave Zoia.
The drive mode controls bracket a handy dual-phone wireless charging pad, set above a second, lower cubby capable of handling wallets, keys, coins and other metallic items that would be incompatible with an inductive phone-charging pad. There’s also a soft-surface shelf above the glove box for passengers to store personal items.
The center console also is completely redone, with a stubby, minimalist by-wire toggle shifter placed on the driver’s side adjacent to illuminated north/south-layout cupholders. Farther back, the storage console features a handy two-way lid, allowing it to be opened from either driver or passenger side and including a nifty flip-open serving tray for use when needed.
Atop the center stack sits the horizontally oriented infotainment touchscreen placed on an even line of sight with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The cluster is now presented as a rectangular screen vs. the previous model’s traditional round and hooded binnacles. In addition, our test car included a head-up display.
The touchscreen is backed by a quicker-responding voice system and easy access to either the native system or wireless-connected Apple CarPlay or Android Auto devices via a standing “home” button. Also appreciated by our judges: a dedicated, centrally placed volume control knob to manage decibel levels from the powerful nine-speaker JBL audio system.
Even the steering wheel is redesigned with a focus on functionality, adopting chunkier rectangular lines for the spokes and center airbag cover. The spokes incorporate logical controls: all audio switches on the left spoke, all adaptive cruise control operations on the right.
The new RAV4 is the first Toyota model to incorporate the automaker’s latest adaptive cruise control and active safety suite, dubbed Toyota Safety Sense 4.0. Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX judges appreciated the system’s digital representation of vehicles in nearby lanes — different for cars and trucks — in the instrument cluster, and impressive adaptive cruise control capabilities.
Noted judge Robin Warner: “I drove the RAV4 in heavy rain with near-hydroplaning levels of water and all the driving-aid systems worked well, no problem, which I deeply appreciate. Furthermore, the lane-change system also performed well. It requires a light touch of the turn signal to activate and then it handles the rest.”
Earth-friendly materials, quiet cabin
Judges also applauded seat comfort and the bright/dark color scheme of the interior, featuring creamy Harvest Beige SofTex synthetic upholstery on the seats, door panels and dashboard, offset by darker materials in all the functional spaces. Toyota says SofTex, standard on our top-of-the-line Limited, is entirely vegan, with its production generating approximately 85% fewer CO2 emissions and 99% fewer volatile organic compounds than synthetic leathers.
“I found the seats nice and comfortable, with plenty of lumbar support to keep my lower back happy,” commented judge Warner. Heated and ventilated front seats, and heated outboard rear seats added to the value of the package.
Thanks to the RAV4 moving to the stiffer Toyota New Generation Architecture-K (TNGA-K) chassis, and employing lots of noise-reducing adhesives, cabin vibration and road and wind noise are minimized.
The bottom line
“You get a lot here for something stickering below the market’s average,” summarized judge Zoia. “The bright color scheme and big screen that’s the centerpiece of Toyota’s new and best infotainment system to date are initial eye grabbers. And the interior’s overall design is uniquely stylish and functional, with clean lines, comfortable seating, plenty of storage space and beefy dials and buttons where they are most needed.”
“It’s always a tough task for designers to improve on what’s already the best-selling vehicle in its segment, but mission accomplished with the new RAV4.”
