Coming from a company famous for playing it safe, the new Toyota RAV4 isn’t as safe as it should be.
You could forgive Toyota for taking a conservative approach to a medium-sized SUV that topped global sales charts for the last two years.
I’m not sure whether “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” translates well to Japanese.
But Toyota’s “Kaizen” philosophy of continuous (if incremental) improvement applies to its latest model, even if it represents a backward step in some areas.
MORE: 2026 Toyota RAV4 revealed
Safety first: Toyota is adamant this is the safest RAV4 yet, building on the strength of previous models with new features to help drivers stay alert on the road.
Yet it arrives without an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating, and won’t have one until Toyota engineers rush a fix into place.
Toyota reckons it would have nailed a five-star rating under last year’s rules, but missed the deadline for assessment and must tweak the car before resubmitting it for tougher tests this year.
MORE: Toyota RAV4 launches without ANCAP rating
The other area that represents questionable progress is its hybrid engine, which used to be a key strength.
The previous-shape RAV4 launched in 2019 with a 2.5-litre hybrid engine that used 4.7L/100km of regular unleaded to make 160kW of power in two-wheel-drive form, while the all-wheel-drive version used 4.8L/100km to make 163kW.
Today’s car needs 4.5L/100km fuel to make 143kW in two-wheel-drive trim, or 4.8L/100km with all-wheel-drive.
MORE: Toyota leads global sales tally
The new car also needs premium unleaded, while the last model launched with the ability to run on E10 or 91 octane – that change erodes out any potential fuel savings for people looking to trade up to the new model.
At today’s fuel prices, a customer trading in their 2019-model RAV4 hybrid for the 2026 can expect to pay an extra $100-$150 per year for fuel.
And the customer taking the new model for a test drive will notice 20kW of power has gone missing. Toyota marketing types reckon you barely notice the difference, but we certainly felt it.
The RAV4 isn’t the clear class leader that it once was.
Our first drive of the car took place in a high-grade RAV4 Cruiser model with 20-inch wheels that returned outstanding responses to meaty-feeling steering while transmitting more shock than we would have liked from bumps in the road.
MORE: Toyota’s ‘tailgating’ tech arrives in RAV4
A switch to a regular RAV4 GXL model with 18-inch tyres proved that basic models steer just as well while delivering the ride comfort we’ve come to expect from Toyota’s best-selling SUV.
Riding on the same platform as the previous car – one shared with the latest Camry and Corolla – the RAV4 remains a sweet car to steer along a twisty road.
Toyota’s hybrid integration remains class-leading with no pulse or shudder through the car as the petrol motor kicks in, and it has a beautifully refined response to brake input at all speeds.
The interior benefits from a new digital dashboard, including a clever feature that shows when you are benefiting from the slipstream of other vehicles.
A large centre touchscreen is hooked up to new connectivity services including an app that allows you to locate your car, or remotely unlock it.
It looks fresh and has plenty of storage space (including a huge boot with a faster powered tailgate), along with USB-C power outlets in the front and rear.
The exterior looks appropriately crisp, though I personally prefer the RAV4 Edge’s simple front end and handsome six-spoke alloys to the cheese grater grille and fussy wheels of other models.
Prices for the new machine run from $45,990-$66,340 plus on-road costs (about $51,000-$72,000 drive-away), which is $10,000 more than the entry price of the older model.
Toyota expects it to be a sales hit.
It already has more than 10,000 orders in the bank for Australia.
It could be the nation’s
best-selling vehicle in years to come, particularly once a 221kW plug-in hybrid version arrives to bolster the range, and government penalties for diesel utes start to bite Toyota
HiLux and Ford Ranger customers.
Verdict
While the previous RAV4 launched as a clear class leader, the new model’s less powerful motor and lack of a safety rating hold it back. 3.5 stars
2026 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID
PRICE: From about $51,000 drive-away
POWER: 2.5-litre 4-cyl hybrid, 143kW combined
WARRANTY: 5-yr, unlimited km
THIRST: 4.5L/100km
BOOT: 705 litres
SPARE: Space-saver
