The trail of the new Toyota RAV4 is heating up.
Leaked images posted to China’s Weibo social media platform appear to reveal the 2026 Toyota RAV4 at a GAC-Toyota joint venture dealer conference.
Noticed by Japanese blog Creative311, the latest image appears to match up with the latest renders from Japanese publication BestCar, known for its industry sources.
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The picture, although obscured by a big watermark, clearly shows a new RAV4-sized SUV that looks just like BestCar’s renders shown below.
The model is sold in China as the Wildlander and is built by Chinese car giant GAC and Toyota in a joint venture. Naturally, it will differ from the global RAV4, but the exterior shape lines up with spy shots of the car in Japan and the US.
It has a honeycomb front grille, more angular side detailing, fresh alloy wheels and Toyota’s latest distinctive ‘hammerhead’ front LED lighting signature, as seen on Camry and C-HR.
Alongside the latest images, news from Japan suggests the next gen RAV4 will be available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric guise thanks to an upgraded TNGA-K platform. This is yet to be confirmed by Toyota, of course.
The other piece of info is that the new RAV4 will be delayed, at least for Japan, where a launch date of late 2026 is expected.
That said, the new RAV4 will likely soldier on with a similar, but upgraded, version of the 2.5-litre hybrid engine at its core. Petrol engines will be dropped altogether (at least in Australia and Japan) and a revised plug-in hybrid will be available.
The other possibility, a battery-electric one, seems a little shakier. To be competitive an electric RAV4 would require at least a 70kWh battery, if not 80kWh, for a 500km-plus driving range. Charge times will need to improve from the bZ4X, too.
BestCar’s intel suggests the RAV4 will grow significantly, stretching to 4.7 metres long (+85mm) and riding on a 60mm longer, 2750mm wheelbase, resulting in improved cabin space. It certainly looks a little larger in the new pictures.
Information from Japan suggests that pricing will go up to 4.5 million yen (A$46,500) for a hybrid version, when it currently starts at $42,260 for the GX.
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Surprisingly the plug-in hybrid (est. 5.8 million yen/A$60,000) is only expected to be a little cheaper than the battery electric version (est. 6.0 million yen/A$62,000) making both far more competitive with Chinese-made EVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Deepal S07.
The latest image has not been confirmed as the new Toyota RAV4, but all signs are pointing that direction.
Toyota’s new RAV4 will face tough competition from a new hybrid Mazda CX-5, along with the existing Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander and BYD Sealion 6. If it goes electric, there’s also the Tesla Model Y to worry about.
Stay tuned for more concrete information on the new Toyota RAV4 imminently.
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