The country's favourite SUV is back, and it has landed with a blank space where the safety stars usually sit. The all-new sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 is on sale now from $45,990 before on-road costs for the GX 2WD hybrid, rising to $66,340 for the GR Sport AWD plug-in hybrid.
Why there are no stars yet
Production delays pushed the RAV4 out of its planned 2025 arrival and into the revised 2026 ANCAP test protocols, so it has launched unrated. Toyota says active and passive safety upgrades will arrive in the second half of 2026 to secure a five-star result, and early cars cannot be retrofitted. ANCAP has publicly cautioned buyers against purchasing the unrated vehicle.
Cartell Assessment
This is the most popular family SUV in the country going on sale with a genuine question mark over it. The car is almost certainly safe, and the delay is about protocol timing rather than a known fault, but a buyer signing today does so without the independent tick most families look for.
AU Outlook
Watch for the running change later this year that unlocks the rating. If you can wait, the updated cars will carry the five stars. If you cannot, go in with your eyes open.
