The 2026 Toyota RAV4 XSE Is A Benchmark Sporty Hybrid SUV For The Urban Jungle
About 30 years ago, Toyota created a new segment of vehicle when they introduced the very first RAV 4 to America all the way back in late 1995. Now, at the time, the RAV 4 was literally one of the very first compact unibody crossovers to be introduced. And it also introduced a new segment of vehicle that a lot of consumers didn’t realize they needed. Fast forward three decades and the RAV 4 has become one of the top selling vehicles in the country, even outpacing the Ford F-150 earlier this year. So for 2026, Toyota is not resting on their laur la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la laurels because they are introducing an allnew sixth generation RAV 4 and this is a comprehensive redesign. The platform has been updated. This vehicle is only offered as a hybrid with an available plug-in hybrid. And on the inside we have their latest software infotainment system with a larger nearly 13-in display. So today we’re actually out here just north of Phoenix, Arizona to finally get behind the wheel of one of the most popular trim levels, the RAV 4 XSE hybrid. And the big question I want answered, has Toyota managed to redefine the segment in the compact family SUV space once again? Stay tuned to find out. [Music] Now, before we get into the allnew sheet metal for this sixth generation Toyota RAV 4, I thought I’d remind you guys what’s going on underneath the hood. Now, just like the redesigned Toyota Camry that Toyota introduced a little over a year ago, they the company is going allin on hybrid technology because they have completely dropped the base gas only engine from the previous generation. The base engine is now their latest fifth generation hybrid synergy drive, which combines a naturally aspirated 2.5 L gasoline direct injection four-cylinder that runs on the Atinson cycle, part of their dynamic force engine family. But Toyota also now offers a new front-wheel drive version. So, it’s basically paired up with either two or three electric motors. If you guys go for this fully loaded XSE trim like I’m showing you here, it only comes with electronic all-wheel drive as standard. So, you get three electric motors. There’s two at the front and then a separate E axle at the back. Now, this year, the power output actually goes up along with the fuel efficiency. Toyota says the combined horsepower is now 236 ponies. That’s up from 219 for the previous generation. If you guys go for a front-wheel drive model, you’ll have 226 horsepower. So, that’s still around 23 more horsepower versus the naturally aspirated gas only engine that they offered in the previous generation. The increase in power comes from the more powerful electric motor because the gas engine continues to deliver around 176 horsepower on its own, 163 pound feet of torque. The electric motor, however, now delivers 134 horsepower and 153 pound feet of torque. So again, that’s where you get the combined of 236. The lithium-ion battery pack is around 1.02 kwatt hours. So it’s technically a little smaller versus the previous generation, but despite that, Toyota says the efficiency has gone up. If you guys go for a front-wheel drive model, this this vehicle will actually get up to 48 MPG in the city, around 44 combined. This XSSE all-wheel drive is rated at 45 in the city, 39 on the highway. That’s about 42 combined. That’s a 3 MPG improvement versus the previous generation. When you combine that with its 14 and 12 gallon fuel tank, you’re looking at over 600 m of range on a full tank. Now, Toyota didn’t quote a 0 to 60 time. We’ll try it out when we get the vehicle out on the road, I estimate it’ll be right under 7 seconds. I also estimate the top speed is right around 130ish miles an hour. Now, if you guys plan to tow, the new RAV 4 towes more this year, up to 3500 lb if you guys go for an all-wheel drive version. 1750 if you guys go for a front-wheel drive model. And despite the fact that this vehicle, you know, is all new. It’s got more sound deadening, more technology. The weight has been kept in check at around 3,875 lbs. It’s only around 100 lbs heavier versus the previous generation. Keep in mind, if you guys want more power in the XSSE, there’s also a plug-in hybrid model, which we’ll save for a different review on the GR Sport trim that offers up to 324 horsepower. So, that’s going to be the enthusiast’s choice. But, let’s go ahead and close up the hood, which as you can see is still s supported by a prop rod, which gives you a reason to buy a Lexus NX. But, let’s go ahead and talk about the exterior styling because when we first saw this vehicle around 5 months ago at Toyota’s headquarters, they didn’t actually have an SE or an XSSE uh to show you guys in person. Now, that we’re seeing this XSSE painted in windchill pearl with the two-tone black roof. This is essentially the classic color combination. I’m very familiar with this color. I see a lot of them out on the road. In fact, my parents actually own a 2022 model year when it first came out with the refreshed body lines. You can see the paint has a beautiful metallic fleck to it. The front fascia also has Toyota’s latest design uh cues here with this kind of raised up Toyota logo uh that almost looks like it’s illuminated. I actually think it might be illuminated cuz it’s got a completely new design. The hammerhead headlights, you can see look very distinctive. The XSSE trim has an updated upgraded projector style LED with LED turn signals, LED daytime running lights, LED projector low and high beams. And you also have this kind of accent light here uh that also uh includes uh a little LED accent light, which is not the case on all the trims. Some of the trims will have a completely different front fascia. And when you combine it with the gloss black accents, this kind of interesting looking grill with the hexagonal pattern there with some functional openings. This model also comes standard with a 360 camera. Toyota used to make you pay extra for that, but it’s actually standard now on the XSSE trim. And overall, let me know in the comments section below what you guys think of the design. I think this model looks very instantly recognizable as a RAV, but it also borrows a lot of cues here from the latest Toyota products, especially when you look at the new headlight design. Uh, moving around the side profile, being built off of the TGAK architecture, it’s been updated this year with more structural adhesive. Toyota says it’s a little bit stronger and safer, but the dimensions are also unchanged. It rides on the same 105.9 in wheelbase and its overall length is 181 in long. It’s literally the same length and same wheelbase as the previous generation. Toyota did make it a a smidge um lower and a little bit wider. However, keep in mind if you guys go with look at some different trims. The GR Sport, for example, will actually have bumpers that extend the overall length by around 2 in. You can see this XSSE also includes an upgraded 20-in alloy wheel that’s standard. In fact, if you guys remember the previous generation, the max size wheel that you can on the XSSE was an 18inch wheel if you went for the non plug-in hybrid model. This 20 has like a gloss black multiple spoke design. It’s riding on a wider 235x 50 R20 uh Toyo Open Country uh allseason tire. You can see the brakes are 12.1 in diameter at the front uh 11 at the rear. So, the same size brakes as the previous generation. It still has an all-independent suspension that’s been tweaked. Toyota says that if you want an even sportier Rav, the GR Sport has its own specific uh tuning. You can see the gloss black fenders. These are the narrow fenders. Toyota also offers a wider fender on other trims. Uh but overall, you have around 8.1 in of ground clearance for this vehicle, which technically went down versus the prior generation which offered around 8.6. The Woodland trim, which we’ll show you a separate review on, has around 8.5 in of ground clearance. But overall, this two-tone look here with the gloss black, the windshield pearl, the black roof, the black side mirrors. Of course, these are not power folding. Sadly, Toyota still does not offer power folding mirrors, but you do have a 360 camera, integrated turn signals, of course. And then with the XSSE trim, all the chrome is kind of blacked out. I like these low profile black roof rails, and the panoramic sunroof is now uh is available on this trim. It’s part of an extra charge package. It’s standard if you guys go for the Limited. Uh, you can also get the pano roof on the XLE premium trim, which I believe is an upgrade from the previous generation. Now, over here’s the fuel tank door. If you guys go for a plug-in hybrid, the charge port will actually be on the front fender. And then looking at the rear, this is where a lot of people said that the new Rav kind of reminds them of the Nissan Rogue mixed in with the uh prior fourth generation model. I definitely see that, but it also still has that boxy upright profile. The tail lights are full LEDs, and they’re actually full LEDs on all the trims of the Rav. Previously, there was like an LED combination. I also really like this kind of vertical slat textured look that kind of creates a three-dimensional effect with the tail lights when they’re actually illuminated. Um, that two-tone look also comes back to the rear here where the RAV 4 or the upper portion of the tail light and the RAV is kind of blacked out. It’s got a really tiny Toyota logo there. A lot of competitors have gone bigger with the logo, so it’s interesting Toyota’s gone smaller. And you can see I also love the black badging. There’s that new HEV with their Beyond Zero badge there. The all-wheel drive lets you know that it’s all-wheel drive, obviously. And then the XSSE badge is right there. It’s also blacked out. It’s a very tasteful amount of badging. The rear bumper also has kind of some gloss gray with the more aggressive diffuser. You have integrated parking sensors. The one thing Toyota did remove, however, are the dual chrome exhaust outlets from the previous generation. I really am sad to see those go away, especially when you look at the GR Sport. We’ll show you guys a separate video there, of course, on that. The rear spoiler is also nicely integrated back here. It’s not too large like on the GR Sport. I would have liked to see Toyota tuck this rear wiper underneath here, but you have again that third brake light integrated there. And then in terms of a power liftgate, this is also foot activated. It’s standard on this trim, optional on the uh the base LE trim where you have to go to the XSSE. In terms of the cargo, the similar size and dimension means that you have similar cargo figures. Toyota says you have around 37.8 cubic feet of storage space with the seats up. You can see my test car has this optional rubberized floor mat. If you look under the floor here, you can see there’s also a temporary spare with additional storage there. So, that’s a nice touch. If you want to uh fold down the seats, there’s no release lever back here, but you can kind of just reach in and then push that seat forward. You can see when that when that uh seat f folds down, Toyota says you have a maximum of 70.4 cubic feet of storage space, which is actually just under a cubic feet more versus the prior generation. So, that’s a nice touch. This is still very usable, but just keep in mind if you’re looking at some competitors like the CRV, for example, uh it does offer a little bit more cargo space. And also keep in mind if you go for the plug-in hybrid of this, it’ll reduce the cargo between four to six cubic feet. So the exterior of the 2026 RAV 4 has been completely redone, but this is also where Toyota made some big improvements on the inside because the previous generation was still a great place to spend time, although it was starting to lag a little bit in terms of technology. As you can see, the inside of this XSE trim is only available with this black mixed media interior. So this is a combination of a suede Alcantara with a soft text materials, which is a leatherrett. It also has some contrast blue stitching. Uh the seats also have per perforation because they are now heated and ventilated. So previously if you wanted ventilated seats on the XSSE, you had to buy the plug-in hybrid, but now Toyota offers it and it’s standard on all even the or on the all XSSE trims, even just the regular hybrid models. These seats, as you can see, have been completely redesigned. They have a little bit more of an aggressive look to them. They’re pretty similar to those seats in the GR Sport, although I believe the bolsters are a little bit less aggressive. The seats on the driver side adjust in 10 different ways with two-way uh lumbar support and a two-person memory. The passenger side has an eight-way power seat, which is again a really nice touch. Now, as I get inside the vehicle, this car has around 8 in of ground clearance, so it has that typical easy step in height. As I shut the door, the door has a kind of tiny sound, if I’m being honest. Actually, I don’t love the way it sounded there. But this model that I’m showing you is a very early pre-production car, so some material choices here could be tweaked when the final production car comes out. Now, as you can see, here’s the current key fob of the vehicle. It’s completely unchanged versus the prior generation. It does have a RAV 4 badge at the back. Intelligent access is going to be standard on this trim. Of course, you have your typical buttons here for lock, unlock, power lift gate, and then panic. There’s remote start from the fava. You push the lock button three times and hold on on the third try. And then when you want to start it up, the start stop button is right here, kind of blocked by the steering wheel. But when you turn the vehicle on, of course, because this is a hybrid, it’s a full hybrid, there’s no starter noise. Instead, the it has that typical Toyota chime. It says ready in the instrument panel and everything kind of just wors to life. And as you can see with the XSE trim, you get their biggest infotainment system as standard. So, all trims, even if the base SLE trim will have a fully digital 12-in instrument cluster. This again runs their newest software. Uh, it has a customizable display where you can actually put the GPS information in the display as well. And then, as you can see in the center, you have the bigger 12.9 in display, which is typically not offered on the lower trims. This is nearly 13 in and it’s a big upgrade versus the 10 and 1/2 in display on the previous generation. The 10 and 12 in display is going to be standard. If you guys look for the look at the lower trims, this also runs their latest Aren software which is basically Toyota audio multimedia 2.0. Toyota says that this software behind it has been completely upgraded and there’s also a new home screen. As you can see, the home screen has much better graphics. Uh it’s much quicker and snappier to respond. It still has those, you know, icons here to the left where they always kind of stay into place. And this vehicle also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Uh my phone is connected, but the CarPlay for some reason didn’t automatically start. So sometimes with these systems, again, this is an early pre-production model. Um the CarPlay doesn’t always start up there. It actually connected there. And when I pull up the CarPlay, you can see that’s what the CarPlay looks like. Keep in mind, if you guys are looking at the smaller display, you won’t have the three different tiers here. So this is iOS 18, I believe. Um with the smaller display, you’ll just have the two tiers with with slightly larger icons. So this again shows off the extra real estate of this screen. And if you want, you can also expand it to get rid of the Toyota native bar at the side there. And this looks amazing. It’s much quicker and snappier. The graphics are also even better. And I also love the fact that there’s now a dedicated home display which you can actually customize those widgets there. Now, in terms of the materials, let’s talk about that because the XSSE trim is supposed to be more of like a combination of luxury and sport. This upper door panel has actually a soft touch injection molded plastic which a which has a nice graining material. The that leatherrett, as you can see, is also included here. Uh it’s like kind of like a gray finish. There’s this gray painted plastic door handle. You have your twoerson memory seats here. The windows, you can see they are onetouch for all four, which is a nice touch. They’re also illuminated. Same kind of uh style window switches that Toyota has been doing for a while. There’s no power folding mirrors, unfortunately, but the mirror controls are here. Uh you have a nice padded area here. And then down in the lower portion, it’s all hard touch plastic as I expected. It’s got a an allnew steering wheel design as well, a three-spoke uh wheel with Toyota Safety Sense 4.0. So, it moves from 2.5 in the previous model to 4.0. We’ll talk about what that adds later on in the driving scene. The wheel itself offers a manual tilt telescoping adjustment uh where you can easily get a comfortable driving position. No paddles on the wheel. That’s included on the GR Sport or and it’s optional on the plug-in hybrid version of the RAV. The horn, I don’t love the way it sounds. It sounds a little puny. Uh but that’s something that you could potentially change in the aftermarket. The instrument panel, you can see, has a floating style display as opposed to kind of being inset inward like the previous model. And then if you’re looking for a head-up display, it’s not offered on this trim. On the Limited, it is available. And if you guys go for the XSSE plug-in hybrid, you can get a a head-up display. This upper portion of the dash, unfortunately, is a very cheap feeling, scratchy hard plastic. It also has kind of like this matte gray plastic here. There is a nice little shelf here. And then thankfully, this is the same leatherrett soft text from the door panel carried over here where this is nice and padded. This grainy material feels a little bit better than this cheap scratchy one here, but it’s also still hard touch plastic. And then the air vents, you can see, are very traditional. Um, there’s also these big dials here, which look like dials, but they’re actually buttons for your drive mode selectors. You can see you can cycle the drive mode here between several different modes. Custom, normal, eco, and sport. It even shows you a cool little graphic there. There’s also an EV drive mode for this vehicle. Will allow you to drive on very short distances at light throttle applications in electric mode. There’s also a trail and a snow mode here. So, previously Toyota had volume and like tuning knobs here. So, instead now you have just a volume knob here along with your dual zone temperature control. In fact, dual zone autoclimate control is going to be standard equipment on all versions of the RAV, which is a nice touch. If I push this button here, you can see finally Toyota has upgraded the 360 camera, which is standard on this trim. You can also do a perimeter scan like a smartphone, and you can also kind of pinch to zoom. So, this is something that I’ve been wanting Toyota to add. Even has like kind of a an invisible see-through view of the car. So, that’s really cool. Finally, a more useful 360 camera. Again, it is standard on this trim over here. Now, there is one wireless charging pad over here on the driver’s side. If you go for the limited hybrid only trim, you’ll get a second wireless charging pad for the passenger. That’s the only trim to get that. This model also has the upgraded 45 watt dual USBC charging ports here along with a nice little storage mat here where this is kind of rubberized so your stuff doesn’t fly around. The XSSE also includes this toggle to control the ECBT. You push it forward here that brings up the backup camera obviously which includes trajectory distance markers, cross traffic braking of course, all the usual tech features that you want. Again, much better quality uh for the resolution there. Um push it down I guess to go into drive. Other trims may have an actual traditional shifter. The GR Sport is one of them. You can see I like how Toyota resisted the urge to not do pionic black plastic here. They only put it on this little small portion here. The cup holder is also illuminated. This comes out or if you need to clean that out, it’s a pretty good size for the cup holders. And then you can see the center console lid here has kind of like a cheaper vinyl material. And what’s cool about this lid is you can open it up from the passenger side or on the driver’s side or you can also take it off completely. Uh there’s another USB in there along with a power outlet. It’s a pretty decent size and Toyota allows you the ability to kind of flip it over here and kind of use this as almost like a table. Although they tell you not to actually put food here, which I don’t understand why that you wouldn’t. I personally wouldn’t like this because it’s hard for your elbows. So, most of the times you’re probably just going to leave it in the traditional setup here. I will say that this table does feel a little flimsy, but it could also just be the fact that this is an early uh pre-production model. The seats, like I mentioned earlier, covered in suede Alcantara material, which is nice. The um heat and ventilation function is now located in the screen. itself as opposed to having a separate hard button. There’s also an auto button which is a nice touch. The cool function works pretty well uh which is going to be very useful in the hot Arizona Arizona sun like today. And then of the glove box, you can see is a bin style. It’s damped but not lined with felt. It offers additional storage in addition to more storage over here. This model also has the upgraded 9- speakeraker JBL sound system. It’s part of an extra charge. Probably going to be an advanced technology package. If you want the JBL audio, it’s only available on this trim, standard on the Limited trim. So, kind of keep that in mind. It does actually have two less speakers than the p previous generation. I thought the sound quality was fine when I was turning it up. Uh but overall, you know, from the new software to the larger displays, uh to this kind of much more modern looking interior, it still very much feels like the previous generation Rav, but I think with the new software here, which I’m going to spend more time with this software at some point for a full week, but I like the fact that the graphics are better, the screen is bigger. It’s much quicker and snappier, and I like the fact that it now has a customizable uh home display. But above me, you can see there is a panoramic sunroof. Forgot to almost forgot to mention that. It does have a retractable shade where you can open and close that if you want to open the sunroof completely. It tilts and it also opens up just over the two front seat areas. So, this is going to be an extra alle cart option on the XSSE. Standard if you guys go for the Limited, again, some competitors like the CRV for example, don’t even offer a pano roof. And then in terms of headroom, there’s actually pretty good like maybe 3 in of additional clearance for somebody my height at 5’7. Let’s go ahead and hop into the back seat area. I can show you guys how the space is like because people tend to use this car as a family SUV. So, that’s going to be a really important factor. Now, obviously with the dimensions staying the same, the back seat also stays pretty much the same as well. Toyota says you still have the same 37.8 in of legroom. You can see there’s not a completely flat floor. There’s a slight little hump there. There is there are rear seat air vents and two USBC charging ports. No heated rear seats on this trim. It is available on the Limited trim as standard. You do have two storage cubbies. And then the seats I showed you earlier, they do fold down to expand the cargo. Not a completely flat floor. There’s a little bit of an incline there, but it does offer a slight recline as well. These seats do not slide forward and back like you would find on some competitors. Now, getting back here, you can see at 5’7, this is essentially my driving position. As I shut the door, the door has that same kind of tiny sound to the shut like the front door. There is the same soft touch materials back here like in the front. So, I’m glad that they carried that over. You have the same soft text over here, padded right here. Of course, the window controls. There’s still one touch back here, which is nice. And then lots of hard touch plastic over here, but there’s also additional storage. Uh, in terms of armrest, you can see that this folds down and gives you two cup holders. The headroom space is actually quite generous for somebody my height. I have maybe a solid 3 4 in of additional clearance. I can easily get back here, cross my legs, and get comfortable. But just keep in mind, I was just in the new Volkswagen Tiguan that offers about three more inches of additional uh leg room. So, while this is definitely still usable for adults, just know if you need more space, some rivals do offer even more back seat space. So, here we are finally behind the wheel of the allnew sixth generation RAV 4. This is the XSE trim, a trim that I would say a lot of people tend to choose along with the SE. And with this trim, you get standard, of course, all-wheel drive with their fifth generation Toyota hybrid synergy drive, which means we have up to 236 horsepower. And let’s go ahead and see what we can get 0 to 60 wise in this vehicle. Now, to get the best time, you basically have it in sport mode. We’ll essentially brake torque it and see what we can do here. [Music] Feels pretty strong off the line. All right, on that first run there, we got 0 to 60 in 7.5 seconds. Now, that’s or the our race box here says it was on completely level ground. Um, remember this is a really early first drive. This is a pre-production model. We are sitting also at around 1,500 ft above sea level. So that could affect the time just a little bit. Uh so overall, the last RAV 4 hybrid that I tested, the previous generation, the quickest time I got was around 6.8 6.9 seconds. So kind of keep that in mind. When I get one of these back home for a full week, I’ll do a retest on it. Um we’ll do it at sea level. I’ll also just be alone in the car by myself. So we’ll see if we can get a slightly quicker time there. Now, the XSE trim supposedly is also the sportier driving model, although not quite as sporty, of course, as the GR Sport. We’re going to do a separate video on the GR Sport at some point to see what that vehicle is like. But, uh, with its retuned suspension, Toyota says they’ve made this vehicle, uh, the or they’ve made the structure a little bit stiffer. They’ve added more structural adhesive, potentially more sound detening materials. One of the problems with the old RAV 4 was it was pretty noisy. It had a lot of wind noise, a lot of road noise, a lot of engine noise. You do still hear plenty of engine noise in this car. That’s kind of always been a trademark with Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive system. It’s hooked up to an ECVT where this transmission is not a traditional CVT. It’s an electronic CVT. Uh and it does a really good job at just pushing the putting the engine in the meat of its power band. You do, of course, have a more powerful electric motor this year, uh which offers around 134 horsepower on its own versus 118 in the previous generation. What makes this car so intriguing is the fact that you know you can drive this vehicle on electric power alone and it can do so uh for a very short burst. It allows you to kind of use the electric power first where it gives you that instantaneous torque versus the uh gas engine coming on all the time. I will say that if you guys are comparing this car to the Honda CRV hybrid, the CRV feels noticeably or sounds noticeably quieter because it functions primarily more as an electric vehicle first, whereas the Toyota system, the gas engine will come on a lot more, but when it does, you do feel a nice surge of power. Now, the steering in this car is also pretty quick and snappy, although there’s not really much in terms of feedback. Uh, unfortunately, we are stuck behind this stupid cement truck behind us. So, at some point, I’m going to hope that we can try to get around this thing and try to do a little bit more acceleration runs. But what I do notice is even with these 20-in wheels, the ride quality is also not terrible. It’s got a decent ride quality. Uh, it soaks up the bumps nicely. And, uh, when we get out on higher speeds again, let’s see if we can try to actually notice if it actually feels or is a little bit quieter versus the prior generation. Visibility out of the front and the side and the rear is actually pretty good. Um, this model is lacking the digital camera rearview mirror, which is typically an allocart option. It’s standard if you guys go for the Limited trim, but the hood sight line is really good. It’s a nice low hood. The view out of the sides is good. This A-pillar is a little thicker uh than I remember for the previous generation, but it’s just something you potentially have to get used to. And then, of course, these seats are very comfortable and supportive. Uh, they have a little bit more side bolstering uh than the previous or than the core trim levels of this car. But, let’s try another 0 to 60. Let’s let this annoying cement truck get in front of us. So, this time I’m not going to break torque the car, but it’s still in sport mode. So, let’s just floor it in here and see what we can get. All right, there we got 8 seconds 0 to 60. So, unfortunately, um we’ll have to wait until we get one back home to see if we can get a slightly quicker time, but that time in the real world should be plenty fast for most people. Remember, the hybrid powertrain is standard. Keep in mind, if you guys look for a front-wheel drive version of this car, you’re going to have around 10 less horsepower, which still offers plenty of power, plenty of efficiency. Um, speaking of efficiency, this model is rated to get 39 in the city or I’m sorry, 42 in the in uh combined driving, around 45 in the city, 38 on the highway. That’s a very impressive fuel economy figures. And the old RAV was already at the top of its game. So, this new version essentially, you know, raises the bar even higher. Unfortunately, this car is barely broken in with only 219 mi on it. So, we’re not going to be able to do a final fuel or a fuel economy test right now. Uh, but at some point, we’ll have one for a week and we can talk about there uh that, you know, later on. The previous generation would easily do over 40 m to the gallon without even trying. And when you factor in that 14 12 gallon fuel tank, 600 miles of range should be possible. That is also on regular grade fuel, which is also a really, you know, impressive and nice feature about this car. Now, we’re technically not supposed to take this model off-road, but as you can see, we had a pretty torrential down or downpour last or yesterday here in this area of Arizona. So, the road’s a little bit washed out. But, of course, this car has their all-wheel drive system, which is an electronic ondemand system where basically the rear axle is powered by that electric motor that delivers around 89 foot-lbs of torque on its own. There’s also a bunch of cows in the middle of the road here. Hello. Welcome to uh welcome to Arizona where there’s just cows randomly. A puny horn in them. [Laughter] Wow, they actually looked right at us. They’re like, “Well, we’re not moving for your horn.” I was like, “Maybe I’ll just Oh, yes. That’s Come on, Betsy. Excuse us, cows. Thank you.” But again, what’s great about this car is if you’re stuck in stopand go traffic or you have to slow down for random cows, it actually, you know, allows the engine to shut off to where you don’t have to waste any fuel. And that’s where you’re going to get even better fuel efficiency for a car like this is just being able to drive in pure electric power alone. So, we’ll make a slight turn here because we’re technically not supposed to go into the off-road area, but the turning radius is actually not too bad for this car. You can see the 20-in wheels don’t really affect it too much, but putting her foot down there, the front-wheel drive or the engine is powered primarily by or the the engine primary primarily powers the front wheels. So, there are instances where I do notice that the uh there is a little bit of torque steer when you put your foot down. I’ll see if I can try to pass the cows before they cross the street. But, uh once it once it gets going, the powertrain is very refined. There’s a really easy transition point between the, you know, handoff of the electric motor to the gas side, and it just makes for a very smooth driving experience. You still have to get used to the noise levels that you get from this engine. I I do wish that Toyota would have done something to address the noisiness of the engine when it comes on, but at the same time, most people won’t be pushing the engine as hard as I do. I do it for demonstration purposes, obviously, but it’s just a really easy car to drive, easy car to live with. Um, I think a lot of people are going to essentially be, you know, looking at this car, you know, when you’re trying to trade in your old model and it’s going to feel like home. From the larger infotainment display to the new Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, um, to just the much more refined feel. It definitely also sounds a little quieter in this car. If you can get past the engine noise, I am noticing less road noise and less wind noise into the cabin. So, that should help in terms of, you know, highway driving for this vehicle because, you know, a lot of people tend to drive this as their only car. Uh, and that’s kind of where I noticed there was a lot of wind noise in the previous generation. So, this is definitely going to improve that nicely. But overall, from a driving perspective, the XSSE still very much feels soft. The steering doesn’t offer much feedback. The suspension feels nice and soft as well, which gives you a good ride quality. The seats feel a little bit more aggressively bolstered, but if you plan to use this as a daily driver, don’t and you’re concerned that the XSSE might be too harsh. Uh, it’s going to honestly feel pretty similar to a lot of the core grades. Um, and if you are looking for a RAV 4 that’s going to be even more enthusiastic, more dynamic, that’s where the GR Sport comes into play. So, I’ll be looking forward to uh sharing my impressions of that when we hop into that vehicle later on. But overall, what this new version essentially does is it just takes everything we like from the previous model and just adds a little bit more refinement, adds a little more quietness, and adds a nice improvement in terms of technology. So, the Toyota RAV 4 has been the bestselling vehicle in the compact mainstream family SUV segment for over a decade now. And in fact, last year, Toyota managed to sell a little over 475,000 units, which is kind of crazy to think they sold that many. This car actually outsold the Ford F-150, a vehicle that Ford has typically always dominated and held the sales crown. So, it’s crazy to think that an SUV like this has overtaken a pickup truck. But, it’s pretty easy to see why, because after spending the day in the fully loaded XSE hybrid trim, I expect this model and the SE to be one of the top trims that Toyota will eventually sell for this model. There is a lot to like about this new Rav because to be honest, the previous or the current generation RAV 4 was already still at the top of its game despite the fact that it came out back in 20 2018 as a 2019 model. Toyota Toyota still sells a ton of those vehicles. In fact, dealers claim that consumers aren’t even really waiting for the new version because they’re selling every 2025 model that they can. Uh and so far, as of uh October 2025, Toyota is already on track to do more sales this year they than they did last year. So, this new version is going to make things better in terms of sales. Now, in terms of the interior, uh the brand new software is definitely a big upgrade. I love the fact that you can now get a 13-in display on the top trims with their new Aren software behind it also with more customization, better graphics, uh better overtheair updates. I’m looking forward to spending one or spending a full week with one at some point so I can really test out test out the new software. The design of this vehicle, while it may be a mixed bag for some, I just suspect most people just need some time to get used to the design. I really like the color combination here with the two-tone black roof, this windshield pearl. I do want Toyota to eventually offer more colors on the XSSE, for example. You cannot you can no longer get Calvary Blue, which was on the previous generation. And then Toyota also has a beautiful green color called Everest, which you can only get on the woodlet trim. Supersonic red is also not available on the XSSE anymore. You have to buy the GR Sport. So, I imagine Toyota will eventually expand the trim levels at some point. Um, but also keep in mind if you’re planning to use this as a family vehicle, while the RAV 4 is certainly practical, some competitors offer a little bit more interior space, but no other rival really offers just as much flexibility and choices that Toyota offers. And I think that’s one of the reasons why the RAV 4 is such a popular vehicle with consumers. Now, if you’re looking to get your hands on the brand new RAV 4, Toyota hasn’t announced final pricing, at least as of this filming, uh, the company says that you can expect to find these on dealer lots in December. So, you’re going to have to wait a couple more months. And they did promise that the base price for an LE trim with frontwheel drive is going to start in the low $30,000 range, which is a nice decrease because the current model starts at around 328 for a hybrid, which comes standard with all-wheel drive. I suspect, of course, when you add back all-wheel drive, it’ll probably be in that $32,000 price range as well. If I had to estimate this XSE version, the current model starts at around $38,000. I would say that it should be around the same price. With the options that this model has here, I would probably estimate an asested price of around 46 $45,000 perhaps. It really depends on how much Toyota is going to increase the price because there is a lot more technology, features, power, the interior is also quieter. And while it doesn’t have the same luxurious feel as some rivals, I’d argue that it feels very utilitarian. It offers enough space for most people, and it’s going to continue to keep uh customers flocking into dealerships because this model, again, is just so incredibly well-rounded, while it’s also paired up with Toyota’s legendary reputation for reliability and quality. But with all that said, hope you guys have enjoyed my very detailed overview on the brand new 2026 Toyota RAV 4 in the XSE hybrid trim. If you’re also looking to see the latest cars I’m testing, be sure to follow me on Instagram at redline_reviews. Like us on Facebook. And as always guys, please keep subscribing to the Redline Reviews YouTube channel for all the latest reviews. Thank you so much for watching. I’ll catch you all in the next video. [Music]
The redesigned 6th generation #ToyotaRAV4 has arrived for 2026 and this time, #Toyota has decided to go all-in on #Hybrid tech as the new #RAV4 is only offered with the latest electrified powertrain. We get a chance to drive the new #RAV4XSE the premium sporty member of the family and it continues to be available as both a #RAV4Hybrid and #RAV4PHEV with best-in-class power, efficiency, and range.
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