Next-gen 2025/26 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: What to Expect [Update]

Update: ‘MY2024 RAV4 Hybrid announced for the U.S.’ section updated.

The Toyota RAV4, the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S., will get a full redesign by 2025, as per a report Drive released on February 13, 2023. The next-gen Toyota RAV4 will arrive in Australian showrooms sometime in 2025, and we expect American dealers to welcome it around the same time, considering that it is its biggest market. Here are our expectations from the new Toyota hybrid and plug-in SUVs.

Development

Drive reports that Toyota has started developing the next-gen RAV4, which is understandable given that the model’s launch is less than two years away. By early 2024, we should see prototypes out on public roads if the company plans to conduct the unveil in 2025. Like today, there should be two new electrified RAV4 models on offer – the Hybrid and the Prime (plug-in hybrid). We expect the Hybrid to remain as the more popular configuration in the U.S. and most other markets.

Specifications

When the fifth-generation RAV4 was introduced in 2018, it made the transition to the TNGA-K platform. For the upcoming sixth generation, Toyota is set to continue using this base but with improvements. With the introduction of the Corolla Cross, the RAV4 might undergo a size upgrade to provide enhanced passenger and cargo space, and stay distinct. For reference, the current model is 180.9 in. long, 73.0 in. wide, and 67.0 in. tall (incl. antenna) and has a 105.9 in. wheelbase.

The RAV4 Hybrid has faced criticism for its lack of refinement. The hybrid system is also known for being noisy. When combined with wind noise, it can be unsettling during long-distance travel. Toyota engineers are likely to have taken this feedback into account during the development of the next-generation RAV4 Hybrid. The redesigned SUV is expected to feature improvements in areas such as braking distance, handling, and overall efficiency as well.

In the current RAV4 Hybrid, the powertrain, consisting of a 2.5-liter engine and two motors (front and rear), produces 219 hp and delivers an EPA-est. fuel economy of 40 MPG. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid could have the same setup but a better engine and motors that offer gains in performance and efficiency. We expect an increased peak power of up to 225 hp and an improved EPA-est. fuel economy of at least 42 MPG.

124-mile Toyota PHEV confirmed

Toyota Motor Corporation is doubling down on EVs, planning to introduce ten fully electric models by 2026, but it’s not leaving behind plug-in hybrids. The company will improve PHEVs by increasing their electric range to 200 km (124 miles), repositioning them as “a practical BEV,” Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima said during an announcement on April 7, 2023.

We can’t say it with certainty yet, but the 124-mile PHEV could be the next-gen RAV4 Prime. However, the triple-digit electric range is probably a WLTP target, meaning the EPA-est. for the same model could be just under 100 miles, which would still be impressive. Toyota’s recent PHEV launches, the C-HR Plug-in Hybrid and the Prius Prime, are capable of 66 km and 86 km of EV range, respectively, and the RAV4 is perhaps the most deserving candidate for next-gen Toyota PHEV technology, given its outstanding sales record.

Features & Safety

Toyota should offer the 2025 RAV4 Hybrid/2026 RAV4 Hybrid with features like a panoramic sunroof, gesture tailgate, digital key, fully digital instrument cluster, Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, USB Type-C ports, power driver’s seat with memory function and lumbar support, and 360-degree camera system. We expect the company to offer more comfortable front passenger seats in the redesigned model, as comfort has been a commonly stated downside for the front passenger seat in the outgoing model.

Instead of the current Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, the next-gen model should upgrade to the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes seven features:

• Proactive Driving Assist
• Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
• Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
• Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Lane Tracing Assist
• Road Sign Assist
• Automatic High Beams

Price & Release Date

The RAV4 is produced in three factories in North America: Woodstock (Ontario, Canada), Cambridge (Ontario, Canada), and Georgetown (Kentucky, USA). The prices of the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid/2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in the U.S. may start at close to USD 32,000. We’re expecting the initial cars to reach dealers towards the end of 2025.

MY2024 RAV4 Hybrid announced for the U.S.

While we wait to learn more about the next-gen RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota has released the 2024 model year update for the current SUV. Carrying forward the Woodland Edition, which it introduced with the 2023 model year, it gets more appealing with the addition of a new two-tone paint option, rain-sensing variable intermittent front wipers with de-icer function, and 1¼-inch activity mount. Inside, optional heated front seats and leather-trimmed steering wheel are part of a new Weather Package.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition, in two-tone paint, comes with Army Green or Ice Cap base colors, and Midnight Black Metallic roof paint. The big attraction is the 18-inch, six-spoke bronze-colored TRD flow-formed alloy wheels, wrapped in Falken WILDPEAK AT tires. Seeing Toyota take this special edition into the second model year, we think the company could extend it to the next-gen model range as well.

2025/26 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid FAQs

Featured Image Source: TopElectricSUV’s illustration of the next-gen RAV4 based on recent Toyota designs.