It’s never easy replacing a strong-selling model in your vehicle lineup and if you’re Toyota the task of replacing the current generation RAV4 is a demand that most folks would shy away from if asked to do it. However, the company knows that even the best-selling models need a refresh once in awhile.
Toyota has released a teaser for the 2026 RAV4 which will be the next Toyota model to go under the knife as the company attempts to expand its presence in the SUV market while also adding some updates for the core pillars that have allowed the RAV4 to be a strong seller in the broader automotive marketplace.
Eye in the sky provides a view of RAV4’s exterior, interior to get upgrades
Our first glimpse of the exterior is included but the lone catch here is that detailed views of the front and rear are not included. Instead, Toyota chose to provide a birds-eye view of the SUV going over various road surfaces and different terrains. While the sky-high view does appear to show newly updated headlights and that the profile of the RAV4 will be carried over, we get to wait until Toyota comes back down to earth and provides more detailed images for us to dissect.
Thankfully, Toyota Europe was kind enough to get a head start on that with several teaser images of the interior. Here, it appears that the company will give the cabin some upgrades with a bigger infotainment system, a reworked center console, and a slightly tweaked dashboard being the key updates in a cabin that will otherwise carry over some of the other essentials largely unchanged. That’s fine since Toyota is clearly trying to keep things familiar for buyers and the last thing it needs is to rock the boat too much for consumers.
When can I buy one?
Thankfully, the wait to see it will not be too long with the company unveiling the 2026 RAV4 on May 20th. Reports have indicated that Toyota is looking to keep RAV4 production in the United States to avoid the sting of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on multiple trading partners including Japan. In the case of the RAV4, the company was originally planning to import RAV4s from Canada but with the two countries now at odds over trade, Toyota will most likely scrap that plan and instead focus on boosting the model’s production presence in the U.S.
Pricing and more information will be released in the near future but with the current RAV4 selling over 475,000 units last year, the 2026 model will have a big set of shoes to fill when it enters production. As such, expect the pricing ladder to not change too much with any increases to be minimal depending on trim level.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.