The Best-Selling Non-Pickup in America Is All-New
The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling car in the United States, so any changes or updates to it will be made with extreme care. Deviating too far from what makes it so successful would be a major mistake. When the 2026 Toyota RAV4 hits dealers late in 2025, it will have gone through more than a refresh and update. The chassis, power plant, entertainment system and other elements are all-new. There is even a first-ever model, which by default makes it all-new. [Ed note: We say ‘car’ to differentiate the RAV4 from its two truck competitors that outsell it—the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado.]
The chief engineer for the RAV4, Yoshinori Futonagane, told us: “The sixth generation RAV4 is a bit more exciting, someplace to have some fun. Times have changed and the use case is far more diverse than before. To this point there are areas we focused on for development – electrification and diversification. For electrification, we have gone with hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Diversification of owner uses has led the RAV4 to now being sold in more than 180 countries around the world.”
Toyota brought automotive journalists to Fort McDowell, Arizona, to drive four different “grades” [Ed note: a Toyota term, most manufacturers would just call these trim levels or editions] of the all-new 2026 RAV4. Our base of operation was the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, located on the outskirts of Scottsdale, which gave us access to highways, city streets, winding and undulating desert roads and a dedicated off-road course. This combination gave us a good, but brief time behind the wheel, to evaluate the RAV4 grades—Core, Sport, Woodland and GR Sport.
This Flash Drive is an introduction to the 2026 RAV4. Clean Fleet Report will do more in-depth road test reviews when we have one or all of the RAV4 grades for a week or more. We will go into real world fuel economy and delve deep into the exterior and interior designs plus the infotainment system and technology features.
Performance and Efficiency
The 2026 RAV4 comes a choice of front-wheel (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), two powertrains, hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and choices of three Core Grades; two Sport Grades; the Woodland Grade and the first-ever GR Sport Grade. Whew!
Every RAV4 has driver-selectable drive modes that add to the performance.
Normal is the factory default and is tuned for balanced, everyday driving.
Eco is the most fuel-wise and is good when on the open highway for long stretches of mile-after-mile driving.
Sport makes the throttle and steering more responsive, and holds the transmission shifts bit longer at higher RPM.
Custom allows the system to be adjusted to the driver’s preferred settings.
EV mode allows the vehicle to be operated as a pure electric vehicle for short distances at low speed, depending upon certain conditions, such as battery charge level.
Core Grades
LE and XLE
2.5-liter HEV – 44 mpg
FWD: 226 horsepower (hp); Towing: 1,750 pounds
AWD: 236 hp; Towing: 3,500 pounds
Limited
2.5-liter HEV – 44 mpg
AWD Standard. Towing: 3,500 pounds
Sport Grades
SE
2.5-liter HEV – 37 mpg combined
AWD Standard; FWD optional
2.5-liter PHEV – 41 mpg Combined (in hybrid mode)
52 All Electric Range (AER)
7.2 kW onboard charger
AWD Standard: 324 hp and 172 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque; Towing: 3,500 pounds
XSE
2.5-liter HEV or PHEV
11 kW onboard charger
AWD Standard; Towing: 3,500 pounds
Woodland: Rugged Grade
2.5-liter HEV or PHEV
41 mpg Combined for the HEV; 49 AER for the PHEV
11 kW onboard charger
AWD Standard; Towing: 3,500 pounds
GR Sport
AWD Standard: 324 hp and 172 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque; Towing: 3,500 pounds
2.5-liter PHEV
41 mpg Combined and 48 AER
7 kW onboard charger
Charging
The RAV4 PHEV XSE and Woodland grades have an 11-kW onboard AC charger with a CCS (Combined Charging System) charging port for DC fast-charging. It enables charging from 10-to-80% state of charge in approximately 30 minutes.
The SE and GR Sport PHEV models have a 7-kW onboard charger and are equipped with a charging port for 120-volt common household wall plug. Charge times will be about 12 hours to a full battery. If installing a home Level 2 240-volt charger, the battery will go 10-to-80% in around four hours.
Driving Experience: Core and Sport Grades
The Core and Sport Grades differ in their road presence by being either FWD or AWD and shod with 17, 18 or 20-inch tires. Our short time in each grade was on smooth, dry paved roads on a beautiful sunny Arizona fall day. My driving partner and I found the ride to be comfortable, which included the seats and suspension. The suspension when cornering, on gentle city and desert country roads (never exceeding the posted speed limits) was well-matched for the curb weight that ranged between 3,640 and 3,920 pounds depending on if we were in a FWD or AWD grade.
The Core Grades had the hybrid system while the Sport Grades had the plug-in hybrid. The two differences between the two powertrains are, when accelerating hard from a stop, the power assist from the plug-in hybrid gives a boost, and with the PHEV you can select to only run in all-electric mode (if you have a charge).
This latter point makes buying the PHEV attractive as being able to go 52 all-electric miles daily should cover most owners’ in-town errands for several days, making going to the gas station a faint memory.
Driving Experience: GR Sport
The GR Sport was developed in-conjunction with the Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division, which all the high-performance Toyota and Lexus models run through before being released to the public. Mikio Hayashi, the head of GR marketing, was at the media event and told us: The “positioning of the GR Sport brand is at the entry level of the GR model hierarchy with the goal of having the widest possible audience. He continue that even being entry level we made sure it was worthy of carrying the GR branding.”
The GR Sport is far more than an appearance package with these specific parts and equipment.
Offset 20-inch wheels
Summer performance tires
15 mm lower ride height
Dedicated damper tuning and coil springs
Front performance damper
Rear suspension cross member reinforcement
Front lip spoiler
Split Wing rear spoiler
Rear diffuser
So what did we find different with the GR Sport? Our best way of describing it is, when entering corners above the posted speed limit, we felt no slipping, the tires did not break loose, the body did not roll and, on left-right-left-right sweepers the GR Sport tracked confidently without any feeling of losing control. In a few non-scientific 0-60 mph runs, we turned sub-8-second times from the 324 hp and 172 lb.-ft. of torque.
Toyota has a crack team of elite drivers, the Sugo-Ude, which translates into “Amazing Skill,” testing at the Shimoyama track that was designed to recreate and be inspired by the Nürburgring in Germany. Their skill has done a good job increasing the handling and performance of the entry level 2026 RAV4 GR Sport.
Driving Experience: Woodland Grade
The Woodland is built for moderate off-roading, but certainly not rock crawling. Please leave that to the Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia. The Woodland will be good for getting to the cabin deep in the woods or heading to the slopes for some skiing.
Equipped with 235/65/18 Dunlop Grandtrek all-terrain tires, the Woodand is worked well when we did some trail driving on sandy, rocky and rutted surfaces. The 8.5-inch ground clearance was plenty for the type of rocks we encountered.
Pricing
The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid models are expected to start arriving at U.S. dealerships in
December 2025. The starting price will be in the low $30,000s for the hybrid FWD model. The 2026 RAV4 PHEV pricing will be available closer to when they are expected to start arriving at U.S. dealerships in spring 2026.
Observations: 2026 Toyota RAV4
Toyota going all-in with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains is a testament to the company’s belief in reducing gasoline use and helping to contribute to lessening the automobile’s impact on the environment.
The smooth operation and seamless transition between gasoline and electric modes has been a selling point for the Toyota Hybrid System, now in its 5th Generation. The 6th Generation PHEV powertrain continues to improve its all-electric driving range, for the 2026 RAV4 up to 52 miles. If you want to cut your gasoline expenses, then the plug-in hybrid option should be high on your must-have list.
A note about a plug-in hybrid vehicle: To make this technology work to its fullest, it is necessary to plug it in whenever possible, but definitely overnight. You already do this with your mobile phone. The concept can’t be too far-fetched if it means, depending on your driving habits and patterns, maybe never going to a gas station again.
You will pay more for a hybrid versus a gasoline-only powered car, and more for a PHEV over a hybrid. Since we do not have the pricing, it is safe to say any additional cost for a hybrid will be made-up every mile you drive. For the plug-in hybrid, if you drive most of your miles in town or in rush hour traffic, your gas budget will be cut to near nothing.
Regardless which 2026 Toyota RAV4 you go with, try not to smile too broadly when passing gasoline stations.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Toyota.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
Disclosure
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other efficient powertrains. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com or by commenting on any of our stories. We answer every comment!
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