New Toyota RAV4: Land Cruiser-inspired interior unveiled
The sixth generation of Toyota’s big-selling hybrid SUV is soon to be revealed
We’re about to see the wraps come off the next-generation Toyota RAV4. But before that happens on 21 May, the firm has given us some useful new teasers of its mid-sized hybrid SUV.
The new RAV4 will be a vital model for Toyota, having been a strong seller since the original model debuted in 1994. The fifth-generation RAV4 was the third-best selling car in the world last year, with over one million units sold, close behind the Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla. Part of what has made the RAV4 so popular is its versatility - something Toyota is tapping into with its latest teasers. Three images depict the new RAV4 in rather opposing environments - cold, harsh terrain, urban streets and winding country roads.
While we can’t make out much from the lofty, birds-eye view of the car, Toyota has also given us our first glimpse of the RAV4’s new interior. We expected the RAV4 to get a complete overhaul in line with the new Land Cruiser, despite the two not sharing the same platform.
The images show the RAV4 will get a similar steering wheel to its larger SUV sibling, although a Toyota logo sits in the middle instead of the Land Cruiser’s more retro ‘Toyota’ lettering. There’s also a new central touchscreen that’s much larger than the one found in the current RAV4. It’s possible this is the same 14-inch unit Toyota employs on its US-market off-roaders like the Tacoma and Tundra. Another new display sits ahead of the driver and both screens use the company’s latest infotainment system.
We’ve seen the new RAV4 testing in minimal camouflage already, so we have a good idea what to expect from Toyota’s Hyundai Tucson rival. This sixth iteration will be bigger, boxier and more technologically advanced, with a chunky design offering even greater appeal for its millions of customers while still keeping the Toyota family look from models such as the current Prius and C-HR.
The prototype we caught sports a slim set of C-shaped LED lights similar to the ones seen on those other Toyota models, paired with a large lower grille and bluff bonnet. Along the side, the body retains the plastic surrounds on its wheelarches, and a split C-pillar that will allow the new car to be specified with a contrasting roof colour.
The rear end looks upright and boxy, which should be good for visibility and interior space, with a wide and deep tailgate helping keep the load lip as low as possible. The new RAV4’s design isn’t likely to shock the world – it’s an important model that the company needs to continue selling in big numbers – but the elements that have kept it popular over the decades will no doubt remain.
In other words, don’t expect a sloping roofline or aggressive wide shoulders, as we have seen on other coupé-inspired SUVs, because this will be very much a model focused on practicality, which is what buyers have come to expect.
As is currently the case in Europe, a range-topping GR Sport trim will be offered, featuring sporty design elements such as larger wheels and unique badging. Other elements from the current model, such as dual-colour paintwork and motorsport-inspired mesh grille inserts, will also be part of the package. Our exclusive image depicts how all of this could look on the production-ready RAV4.
New RAV4 engines and gearboxes
However, while the car is all-new in look and feel, under the skin we expect it to be closely related to the outgoing model by using the firm’s flexible TNGA architecture. In TNGA-K form, it’s being widely deployed across a variety of mid-sized Toyotas, such as the US-market Camry saloon and Highlander SUV, as well as most of the Lexus range including the NX and RX SUVs, the ES saloon and the LM MPV.
Given those likely underpinnings, we have a good sense of the sort of powertrains that Toyota will offer in the new RAV4, with European models likely to share a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and a CVT gearbox with varying degrees of hybrid assistance.
The range is likely to open with the latest take on Toyota’s HEV system, which combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery. This will power the front wheels, but can also be equipped with a mechanically linked all-wheel drive system.
As the platform has evolved over the years, Toyota has continually expanded its application of more advanced plug-in hybrid options, which offer a substantial amount of engine-off running and therefore even lower running costs.
In this case, it’s probable that a new RAV4 plug-in will pair its four-cylinder petrol engine with a more powerful electric motor and larger lithium-ion battery pack. In the current plug-in hybrid, the only model now offered in the UK, Toyota quotes an EV range of up to 44 miles and a WLTP mpg rating of around 280mpg – figures we expect to improve further in the next generation. The plug-in powertrain also features a clever i-AWD system that adds an electric motor to the rear axle, improving traction without the need to fit a drag-inducing propshaft.
The current system produces an impressive 302bhp, but is seen as a premium option alongside the less powerful HEV. Supply of the cheaper version is limited due to tight EU fleet CO2 averages, suggesting a less powerful and cheaper plug-in could be introduced – possibly based on the set-up used in the smaller C-HR.
With such a wide remit, there might be pure internal combustion-engine (ICE) models available in some markets, but as hybrid powertrains are seen as core technology in all of Toyota’s global products, the new model could switch to hybrid-only. Even in the US, which is less concerned about fuel consumption and emissions, Toyota killed all pure-ICE variants of the Camry following its redesign last year, suggesting the same might be true of the next RAV4.
Will there be an electric RAV4?
What’s less likely is an all-electric variant, because Toyota’s TNGA-K platform does not support large battery packs. The firm has previously confirmed that a more flexible, multi-energy platform is in development for its global models, but it’s thought the RAV4 will arrive too soon to adopt this architecture. This is unlikely to be a major worry, considering the model’s popularity in markets that have been slow to adopt EVs en masse.
Toyota’s work with hydrogen fuel-cells is likely to be a step too far for the new RAV4, despite the brand working on more space-efficient packaging. Hydrogen is very much part of the company’s future powertrain strategy, and there could be a chance of a derivative employing the tech at a later date – but it can’t happen without major modifications to the platform, and as such is off the table for mass production.
Global appeal
Toyota isn’t likely to offer a seven-seat version of the new RAV4, either, because it has other models to fill that niche depending on the market. In Europe, the Land Cruiser offers this, as did the more road-biased Highlander for a short while. However, this US- focused model didn’t gel with buyers on this side of the Atlantic.
As a critical model in Toyota’s global line-up, the RAV4 is a big contributor to the company’s overall profitability. Last year, it sold almost 800,000 of them in the US alone. It was also the world’s highest-selling Toyota in both 2021 and 2022, and not far off the top-spot in the two subsequent years.
A big chunk of global sales go to North America, and RAV4s for that market are built in Toyota’s Kentucky and Canadian plants. Although the RAV4 is a global model, development of the latest version has been heavily influenced by the demands of the US and Canada. This may mean that European models come later, so while we’ll see the RAV4 this year, we’ll have to wait a little longer to drive it in the UK.
Prices
The new RAV4’s pricing is expected to stick close to the current model’s, which started at just under £40,000 in hybrid form and a little over £44,000 for the plug-in hybrid, rising to nearly £50,000 for a GR Sport. These prices put it above many of its key competitors, including the popular Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon, as well as Volkswagen’s new Tiguan and the Ford Kuga.
However, it’s at the same level as its key rival, the Honda CR-V, which is a very close match for the Toyota in terms of dimensions and spec.
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