- A leaked image appears to show the design of the 2026 Toyota RAV4.
- It was taken at a GAC-Toyota dealer conference in China, reports say.
- The fenders and window line match up with those on a disguised RAV.
Toyota’s current RAV4 debuted back in March 2018 and it’s no secret that the automaker has been cooking up a new one. What was still secret was how that sixth-generation car would look, but now it seems the cat may be out of the bag.
A single image originally posted to China’s Weibo social network by several users and then picked up by other outlets appears to show the 2026 RAV4 due to debut later this year wearing no disguise.
Related: Is This Our First Look At The 2026 RAV4?
Users claim it was taken at a dealer conference in China discussing products from the GAC Toyota joint venture. This means the SUV in the image could be the Wildlander we mentioned the other day, not a RAV4. However, we have every reason to believe this 2026 Wildlander, which will reportedly be unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, is also very representative of the RAV4 destined for US, European, Japanese, and Australian showrooms later this year.
One of the reasons for our confidence is that our spy photo teams have already spotted the next RAV4 testing in prototype form, and though the SUV in those images was covered in swirly camouflage, details like the mirrors, door handles, distinctive square arches and the kicked-up waistline at the base of the D-pillar all match perfectly with this leaked Wildlander shot.
But this new image highlights details we couldn’t make out on the disguise test car. The way the black sill cuts into the rear door and combines with the crisp line coming across the middle of the door skin creates the impression of leaner, body. And the color-coded Camry-style grille and Toyota’s latest C-shaped DRLs will give the next RAV far more presence than the current SUV delivers.
We don’t get to see inside the Wildlander but we expect the new RAV4 to adopt Toyota’s modern twin-screen layout. Under the skin it will retain the existing TNGA-K platform with a big focus on hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains with longer EV range distances, potentially reaching 80 miles (130 km) in the PHEV. The big question is whether Toyota will offer an EV version this time, and a report from Japan’s Creative Trend report suggests it will.
