Australia's favourite SUV has turned over. The sixth-generation [Toyota RAV4](/cars/toyota/rav4) opens at $45,990 plus on-road costs for the GX 2WD hybrid and spans 11 variants, including Toyota's first plug-in hybrid for this market.
More power up top, less down low
The regular hybrid now makes 143kW, actually down on the old car thanks to tighter emissions rules, so the headline story sits with the PHEV. Due from the third quarter of 2026 and opening around $58,840 for the XSE 2WD, it carries a 22.7kWh battery, up to 100km of WLTP electric range and rare 50kW DC fast-charging. The AWD version's 227kW makes it the most powerful RAV4 ever. One asterisk: the new car has landed without an ANCAP rating, because ANCAP has not tested it yet. The "safest RAV4 ever" line is a Toyota claim, not an independent score.
Cartell Assessment
The interior and tech leap is overdue and welcome, but the price rises are steep and the hybrid's power dip is real. Buyers will pay the Toyota tax anyway. We would still wait for the ANCAP result before calling it the safest.
AU Outlook
If the PHEV delivers on range and charging, it could pull buyers away from EVs and keep the RAV4 on top of the sales charts.
