The 2026 Toyota RAV4: Canada's Best-Selling SUV Drops the Gas-Only Engine Entirely — Rated 7.5/10

The headline change for the sixth generation is what Toyota has taken away. There is no conventional gasoline-only RAV4 for 2026. Every grade sold in Canada is electrified — either a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid — and every grade comes with all-wheel drive as standard, with no front-wheel-drive version offered at any price. For the best-selling compact SUV in the country, that is an unusually decisive bet.

The hybrid range runs seven grades. It opens with the LE AWD at $37,500 and climbs through the XLE at $41,300, XLE Premium at $43,800, the rugged-themed Woodland at $47,000, the XSE at $50,900, the Limited at $52,000 and the XSE Technology at $52,450. Each pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with the fifth generation of Toyota's hybrid system for 236 net horsepower, and Toyota quotes combined fuel consumption across the lineup of 5.5 to 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres.

The plug-in hybrids are the more interesting machines. Four grades are offered — the SE at $48,750, the XSE at $56,400, the XSE Technology Package at $59,350 and, new to the nameplate, a GR SPORT at $57,500 developed with Toyota Gazoo Racing and given sport-tuned suspension. The PHEV pairs the same 2.5-litre engine with two electric motors for 324 net system horsepower, a 22-horsepower gain on the outgoing car, and Toyota estimates 80 kilometres of electric-only range on a full charge, roughly 20 per cent more than before. A 7-kilowatt onboard charger is standard on the SE, XSE and GR SPORT; the XSE Technology Package upgrades to an 11-kilowatt charger and adds DC fast charging.

Inside, the RAV4 is the first Toyota anywhere to launch Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, which is standard on every grade. The infotainment screen measures 10.5 inches on the LE, XLE and Woodland and 12.9 inches on the XSE and Limited, sitting alongside a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. Toyota's newest multimedia system brings 5G connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the XSE and Limited add a nine-speaker JBL audio system. Seating is for five, and properly equipped models are rated to tow 3,500 pounds.

There is a Canadian angle worth stating plainly. Toyota has sold more than 940,000 RAV4s in this country since the nameplate arrived in 1996, and the 2026 hybrid models sold here are assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Ontario. This is not an imported flagship; it is the most popular compact SUV in Canada, built in Canada.

A 7.5/10 from the Torbrook Rating Agency places the new RAV4 solidly in the upper half of our scale. The specifications above are Toyota's; the score is ours.