2026 Toyota RAV4: Is This Our First Look At Its Next Generation?

The Toyota RAV4, the world’s second-best-selling vehicle, trailing only the Tesla Model Y, is preparing to enter a new chapter. A new generation is expected for 2025, but until now, there’s been little evidence of prototypes hitting the road. That changes today with the emergence of spy shots that just might reveal the extensively redesigned SUV, and while details are still camouflaged, there’s plenty to unpack.

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The photos, which surfaced on a number of online forums and social media channels, including Cochespias and Autopareri, showcase a heavily camouflaged prototype. While it maintains the dimensions of the current RAV4, it clearly adopts Toyota’s latest design language. Allegedly taken across North America and Japan, these images offer multiple perspectives that lend credibility to their authenticity—though, as always, a grain of skepticism is advisable.

A Refined but Familiar Silhouette

The prototype appears to retain the boxy wheel arches and familiar proportions of the current-generation RAV4, with a seemingly identical positioning of pillars, mirrors, and door handles. However, the front end has been fully redesigned, adopting hammerhead-style LED headlights, echoing recent Toyota models like the bZ4x, the Crown family, the Prius, and the newly unveiled Camry.

Beyond the headlights, there’s a body-colored grille—a feature increasingly common across Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Below it sits a bumper intake, likely framed by plastic cladding, to preserve the SUV’s rugged stance. Other notable differences from the outgoing RAV4 include a subtly adjusted beltline that angles upward toward the rear and a redesigned back end with sleeker, more elongated taillights.

Spy Shots: AutoPaperi.com

Different versions of the fifth-gen Toyota RAV4

Digital Cockpit, Meet Familiar Platform

Inside, the sixth-generation RAV4 is expected to embrace Toyota’s newest digital cockpit, including dual 12.3-inch displays in high-spec trims. Borrowing cues from the new Camry, the dashboard will likely feature better screen integration, higher-quality materials, and state-of-the-art connectivity.

If this sounds more like an extensive facelift than a full generational overhaul, that’s because the new RAV4 is expected to retain the TNGA-K platform from the outgoing model. Toyota has taken a similar approach with the new Camry, directing its resources toward enhancing key aspects rather than opting for a costly redesign.

This approach mirrors Toyota’s strategy with the new Camry—focused refinements instead of costly overhauls. While the architecture remains the same, expect incremental improvements in performance, efficiency, and comfort. Gasoline, self-charging hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains will return, and rumors suggest a fully electric version might join the lineup. However, Toyota remains coy on EV confirmation.

“Don’t Fix What Ain’t Broken”

Toyota executives have hinted at their cautious approach, stating that the RAV4’s redesign will preserve the formula that has made the current model such a runaway success. And why not? The outgoing RAV4 has been a global powerhouse, selling over a million units annually. In 2022, it was the world’s best-selling passenger vehicle, and in 2023, it finished second only to Tesla’s Model Y. With the potential to hit 500,000 U.S. sales this year, it’s clear the RAV4 is a cornerstone of Toyota’s lineup.

When Will We See It?

Toyota has kept a tight lid on the debut date, but a mid- to late-2025 global release seems plausible and just in time for the 2026 model year. Japanese buyers will likely have to wait a bit longer for the new generation model, at least according to speculation from local media. Last week, Toyota introduced mild updates for the existing RAV4 in Japan, with the biggest change being the omission of FWD trims.