Toyota RAV4 trims explained - cinch

Toyota RAV4 trim lineup

Toyota offers a pretty simplistic RAV4 trim lineup, and most buyers will be happy with Design because it has all the kit they need, including plenty of safety kit and driver aids.

Excel gives you more kit, and GR Sport leans into the sporty look a bit more.

Toyota RAV4 Design

Toyota RAV4

Entry-level version with all-round parking sensors, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, powered boot lid, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control.

Toyota RAV4 Excel

Interior of a Toyota RAV4 Excel featuring a touchscreen display with apps, sleek dashboard, steering wheel, and gear shift. Black leather seats visible.

Premium upgrade with heated front seats and steering wheel, a 360-degree parking camera, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery and upgraded LED headlights with integrated washers.

Toyota RAV4 GR Sport

A black Toyota RAV4 driving on a curved rural road, surrounded by grass fields and cloudy skies.

Sporty upgrade with paddle shifters, Alcantara seat trim, black headlining instead of grey, sporty alloy wheels and an overall sportier exterior look.

What’s the best Toyota RAV4 trim?

Best value option – Design isn’t just a great starting point, but it’s a good pick for most drivers

Luxurious trim – top-spec Excel models get all the bells and whistles

Performance variant – GR Sport doesn’t get any more power, but it looks the part

Toyota RAV4 engine lineup

Petrol and diesel engines have been available in the past, but the RAV4 is exclusively hybrid these days.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Open bonnet of a red Toyota RAV4 showing a clean, organised engine compartment with visible components and wiring, parked on a concrete surface.

2.5-litre petrol engine with a small electric battery and CVT gearbox for maximum efficiency.

You can get it with front-wheel drive (218hp) or four-wheel drive (222hp) – both claim around 47-48mpg, but the AWD model is quicker and can tow more.

Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

Red Toyota RAV4 being charged with a blue charging cable, connected to the vehicle's charging port, located on the rear side of the car.

You get the same 2.5-litre petrol engine, but a bigger 18.1kWh battery for a 46-mile electric-only range. It’s also AWD-only, so there is no FWD here.

It’s the most powerful (306hp), the quickest to 62mph (6.0 seconds) and the most efficient. Toyota says you’ll get up to 282mpg, but run it with an empty battery and expect closer to 50-60mpg on a long run.

Explore used Toyota RAV4 cars

It might not be the obvious choice, but a Toyota RAV4 certainly makes for a solid family SUV.

And if you’re in it for the long run, remember you could get access to up to 10 years’ warranty with annual servicing, which gets passed on to the next owner.

Once you’ve decided on your perfect trim and hybrid engine, browse our used Toyota RAV4s for sale.