Toyota unveils the sixth-generation RAV4

Toyota unveils the sixth-generation RAV4

Toyota's stronghold on the automotive industry is evident in its dominant local presence. But sales success of this magnitude is not the product of a single model gaining huge amounts of traction but rather a line-up that caters to the exact needs of various buyers. 

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The Land Cruiser was the first model to prove the brand's rugged reliability and go-anywhere attitude in an analogue style. Then the Hilux offered more affordability, while also bringing with it renowned longevity and capability. On the more cost-effective side, the Corolla and Yaris revolutionised the compact car market. But, the focus of this story is on a small SUV that may not be Toyota’s most popular product but still plays a major role within its SUV portfolio. 

Toyota's RAV4 provided the world with a reliable and sensible SUV, and through its five prior generations, it has grown in popularity. Since the RAV4's inception in 1994, Toyota has sold over 15 million of these cars globally. And to ensure a car with such popularity continues to find success on the sales charts, Toyota has introduced its sixth generation, and it could be the most impressive update yet.

Immediately, the exterior resembles design cues from the Fortuner, with its boxier rear end and more elaborate use of black trim and aggressive lines. The front end is striking and adds a touch of aggression and sportiness to the car's character, prompting the addition of a GR-Sport spec to the lineup. Its side profile wraps up its rather attractive exterior, and that pushes a more modernly simplistic agenda. Based on the first-look images, it's one of the better-looking SUVs I have seen in a while.

The outgoing RAV4 PHEV was praised for its impressive performance and consumption through its PHEV system, so to ensure this new model retains these celebrated characteristics, Toyota has further refined its power delivery and frugality. Its new 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery is the first talking point and provides stronger power delivery while offering up to 100km of fully electric range, plus its 50kW DC charging capability allows for a 10%-80% charge time of 30 minutes.

Once paired with its naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine, the new range-topping AWD-i RAV4 PHEV produces 224kW and offers a 0-100 time of 5.8 seconds. The second option is the RAV4 Plug-in 270, or the FWD PHEV RAV4, which offers a more modest but still impressive 197kW. The last option within the new RAV4 lineup is the full hybrid RAV4 220 AWD-I and FWD derivatives, which is effectively its mild-hybrid offering with strong power delivery and energy recuperation without requiring external charging. This model produces 141kW in its AWD configuration, and its front-wheel-drive derivative produces 135kW. So when Toyota mentioned that a GR-Sport RAV4 is coming, it makes sense that it could be the AWD-i PHEV RAV4 since it has the longest legs. 

Lastly, Toyota has significantly updated the RAV4's interior, and it now provides a more robust, tactile and tech-focused user experience and aesthetic. It takes a few interior design cues from the Toyota Prado, which adds another welcome design aspect. As far as new generations go, it's clear that Toyota took a thoughtful and thorough approach with the new generation. The brand has also mentioned that several safety improvements have been made.

The outgoing RAV4 was good, but this new one, well, it has the potential to be exceptional, and it will likely be available locally in mid-2026. While we have no current information on pricing, we can only hope that Toyota brings it in under the sub-R1 million price bracket.

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