Next-gen 2025/26 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid & Prime: What to Expect

Update: ‘Specifications’ 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 the compact crossover’s biggest market. Here are our expectations from the new Toyota hybrid and plug-in SUVs.

Development

Drive reported that Toyota has started developing the next-gen RAV4, which is understandable given that the current model was introduced in 2018. We should see prototypes out on public roads in the months ahead if the company plans to conduct the unveiling in 2025. As it is today, there should be two new electrified RAV4 models on offer – the Hybrid and the Prime (plug-in hybrid). We expect the Hybrid to maintain its popularity in the U.S. and other markets, though PHEV sales are expected to reach new highs due to growing interest in this powertrain stateside.

Specifications

Dimensions

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 would have to undergo a size upgrade to provide enhanced passenger and cargo space, and remain 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.

NVH

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.

THS 5

Toyota should offer the next-gen RAV4 Hybrid with a 2.5-liter gas engine and the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS 5), similar to the 2025 Toyota Camry. The engine should get assistance from two electric propulsion motors, one at the front and one at the back. The rear propulsion motor should also enable an eAWD drivetrain layout, giving the vehicle additional traction when required on wet or snow-clad roads or while cornering.

Together, the gas engine and two electric motors should produce close to 235 horsepower. We expect at least one of the trims to deliver an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 42 MPG or more (combined). For reference, the current RAV4 Hybrid, with its 219 hp powertrain, can achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy of up to 39 MPG (combined).

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.

While it’s not yet confirmed, the 124-mile PHEV should represent a future version of the 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 (WLTP), respectively. However, 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 redesigned model to feature more comfortable front passenger seats. Based on our experience with the current-gen RAV4 models, which offered excellent space levels, this trait should remain unchanged in the new version. Also expected to change is the steering wheel, which could adopt a similar design to the Crown and the 2025 Camry.

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 just over 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.

I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.