Toyota RAV4

New Toyota RAV4 SUV may use same-again architecture, but it's still a big step forward over the old car

- James Riswick

THE 2026 Toyota RAV4 might look different, but beneath the skin is the same TNGA-K platform that underpinned the previous-generation car. The body has been strengthened and the suspension is new, but the dimensions are virtually the same.

In the US, where we're getting a first drive of the new car, and where the RAV4 is the bestselling thing that’s not a pickup truck, those dimensions make it a ‘compact’ SUV. But here in the UK, it utterly dwarfs its next-smallest sibling (the C-HR) by nearly 300mm. It’s also about 100mm longer than a Kia Sportage or Volkswagen Tiguan.

Despite the carryover platform, the new RAV4 comes complete with Toyota's next-generation plugin hybrid powertrain. While other markets get a traditional hybrid powertrain, the UK will be PHEV only, just as it was late in the previous model's life. A higher-capacity, 22.7-kWh lithium-ion battery helps increase all-electric range to an estimated 60 miles — up from 46 miles on the old car.

The plugin powertrain can now be paired with front-wheel drive, but because that means losing the AWD-enabling rear motor, total output falls to 264bhp. With four-wheel drive, total system output has actually dipped a bit to an even 300bhp (it produces 320bhp in North America), but Toyota says the 0-62mph time has fallen by two-tenths of a second to 5.8 seconds.