America’s Favorite SUV Gets 4 PHEV Trims, 6 Hybrids For new Model Year
The 2026 RAV4 crossover will no longer come with and internal combustion-only powertrain as Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. gets a complete overhaul for the new model year. Yup, all 2026 RAV4s will be electrified – no more ICE-only versions – with six gas-electric hybrid variants and four plug-in hybrids.
There’s new sheet metal – a boxier, more squared-off design than before- and a new interior.
The PHEVs get more range for 2026 – a Toyota-estimated 50 miles, up from the EPA-estimated 42 miles for the 2025 RAV4 Prime PHEV.
There’s a lot to unpack as Toyota unveils the 2026 RAV 4, and while the automaker gave us some preliminary info to get this piece ready, details and more photos are still to come and will be added as we can track them down.
Meantime, let’s start with the lineup and powertrain and power output offerings.
The 2026 RAV 4 will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive, in three distinct design styles and in seven trim levels.
The Core
Toyota’s calling its least adorned exterior style the Core.
It features, as apparently do all the new electrified Toyota and Lexus vehicles – a “sleek, paint-matched grille,” which we expect looks a lot like the flattish, relatively unadorned EV-style grille on the bZ4X (soon to be just bZ), except with piercings or grille inserts to let in air to cool the gas engine. Wide black fender moldings are part of the package, along with a beltline that Toyota described as “ascending.” It’s a chiseled line that rises from down near the bottom of the front door and rises up to the base of the D pillar at the rear. Wheel and tire choices, depending on the trim, will be 17-, 18- or 20-inches.
Core styling has been set aside for the LE, XLE and Limited trims.
All three are conventional hybrid only, using a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder gas engine mated with an electric motor (and a few other bits). Each power source can work independently of the other, or they can work together, depending on what the system determines is the proper need.
The LE and XLE will be available with a 226-horsepower front-drive system (up from 203 hp in 2025) or with all-wheel drive, rated at 236 hp, up from 219 ponies in 2025. The Limited will be available only with the 236 hp all-wheel drive system.
The Woodland
This is a stand-alone trim and style first introduced with the 2025 model RAV4. Think of it as Toyota’s answer to Subaru’s Outlander – all-terrain tires, a bit more ground clearance, a different grille, raised roof rails, a 1.25-inch “rear activity mount,” aka trailer hitch, and beefier fender and bumper moldings.
The RAV4 Woodland will be available as a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, both with all-wheel drive.
The PHEV powertrain uses a more powerful electric motor and larger battery than the conventional hybrid, and that battery needs to be recharged on a regular basis to ensure the kind of fuel efficiency – and power – a PHEV can deliver. In addition to their range increase, the 2026 RAV4 PHEVs get a nearly 6% boost in output over the previous generation, to 320 horsepower from 302 hp.
The Woodland PHEV also gets DC-fast charge capability and a NACS charging port that allows it to take advantage of the Tesla Supercharger network.
The Sport
This level comes with design cues inspired by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing and is reserved for the SE, XSE and GR Sport trims.
We know little about the look of the Sport style.
But we do know that the GR Sport will sit on 20-inch wheels and wide summer tires yet will be more than half-an-inch lower than most other trims – and 1.4 inches lower than the Woodland. It also will look “aggressive” (Toyota’s term) and feature “GR-tuned handling.” We expect that latter means suspension and steering tuning with a sportier, more performance-oriented edge than in other trims and even other members of the RAV4 Sport style family. The GR-Sport also gets a stiffer body than other trims and has its own grille and front and rear spoilers.
The other Sport trims – SE and XSE – will be available with either standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid systems while the GR-Sport is only available as a PHEV. Both the XSE and GR-Sport are all-wheel drive only. The SE is available in front- or all-wheel-drive versions.
The XSE, like the Woodland, will have DC fast-charge capability (fast charge is relative – Toyota says it will take up to 30 minutes to bring a 90% depleted RAV4 PHEV battery back to 80% of capacity, making it among the slowest fast-charge systems out there.)
Here’s what else Toyota has shared:
- A 10.5-inch touchscreen is now standard on the LE, XLE/SE and Woodland trims, up from 8-inches. The Limited, XSE and GR Sport trims get a 12.9-inch, up from 10.5 inches.
- All trims get a new 12.3-inch digital driver info cluster, up from 7 inches with mechanical gauges.
- Some grades get a new toggle-switch activated shirt-by-wire system.
- Controls for the heating and cooling system are now integrated along the bottom of the large touchscreen display, and there’s a permanently displayed home button that’s visible and functioning even when Apple CarPlay or An droid Auto (wireless, of course) is in use.
- The Limited and XSE trims can be ordered with a head-up display.
- Trims with native navigation will be alse to display maps and directions both on the touchscreen and on the driver information screen.
- The standard audio remains an unbranded 6-speaker system and a JBL Premium nin0speaker system is available for some of the higher trims.
- The 2026 RAV4 marks the launch of Toyota’s new Arene software development platform enabling tje next-generation Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 suite of advanced safety and driver assistance systems as well as the next generation Toyota Audi Multimedia (infotainment) System.
- The XSE trim gets heated, ventilated front seats as standard equipment.
- XSE and GR-Sport trims get perforated Ultrasuede upholstery
- The GR Sport gets the GR logo on the front headrests and steering wheel, and also gets paddle shifters and aluminum sport pedals.
- The Woodland trim gets two new exterior color choices – Rock and Everest (and we’ll have to wait for picture day to see what they look like, but they both sound rather granite-like unless Everest refers to the snow on that formidable peak.
- Other trims also get two more color choices – Meteor Shower and Storm Cloud, which sound like shades of silver and gray.
- Overall, there will be nine solid and four two-tone exterior color choices.