Plano, Texas – The best -selling SUV in the United States will be exclusively offered as a hybrid model in the context of a recast from the RAV4 range, Toyota Motor Announced Tuesday evening.
The largest car manufacturer in the world has said that the Toyota Rav4 2026 will only be offered as a rechargeable hybrid or hybrid, eliminating a traditional gas engine in the vehicle for the first time. It will always have a 2.5 -liter four -cylinder engine, but with hybrid technologies such as batteries and electric motors.
Despite a slower than expected adoption of all electric vehicles, car manufacturers have turned to hybrid models – which combine electric vehicle technologies with traditional internal combustion engines – to increase performance and help them respect the regulations of the fuel economy.
Toyota, which began to offer hybrids with the Toyota Prius in the late 1990s, was a world leader and defender of hybrid adoption, despite an industry thrust in recent years so that car manufacturers offer exclusively electric vehicles.
Toyota electrified vehicle sales in the United States – including hybrids, rechargeable hybrids and electric vehicles – represented 43.1% of the 2.3 million units of the company sold in the country in 2024.
RAV4 sales increased 9.3% last year to almost 475,200 units sold, including a 29.3% increase in RAV4 hybrids and a 19.3% gain in rechargeable hybrid electric vehicles. About half of Rav4 sales last year were hybrids.
Sales of electric vehicles and hybrid models have reached a record of 20% of sales of new cars and trucks in the United States last year, at 3.2 million electrified vehicles, according to the Motor Intelligence Data Company. Which includes 1.9 million hybrid vehicles, including plug-in models and 1.3 million electric models.
Hybrid only
David Christ, head of the Toyota brand in North America, said that the company had decided to offer exclusively the RAV4 as a hybrid because of its already established popularity and its growing customer demand.
“The hybrid turns faster; it has more sales orders on this subject, and consumers and dealers are asking for it,” he said in CNBC on Tuesday at an event at the headquarters of the North American manufacturer. “It was clear enough that the consumer votes for the hybrid.”
Christ said that the automaker plans to continue to develop its hybrid offers, including additional offers of rechargeable hybrid vehicles.
Seven of the current Toyota vehicles are exclusively hybrid models, including the SUV Camry and Prius Cars, Sienna Minivan and Sequoia. Rav4 will be the eighth.
2026 Family of Toyota Rav4 vehicles
Toyota
RAV4 hybrids represented 44% of sales last year, Toyota reported, while plug -in models – which offer all electric ranges with a traditional engine that must be connected – was 6.5%.
The RAV4 redesigned should be sold for American Toyota dealerships later this year. The All-Hybrid Rav4 range is part of a new generation of the vehicle that included interior and exterior design changes, as well as vehicle performance and technologies upgrades.
The company refused to disclose prices until the launch of the vehicle. The current RAV4 starts at $ 30,645. The hybrid variant begins at around $ 33,700. The price includes compulsory delivery costs.
The RAV4 regularly increased sales since its introduction to the United States for the 1996 model year. Last year, vehicle sales increased 9.3% in annual shift for a new record, making it the non-selling non-sold signage plate in the United States last year.
Price
The RAV4 faces new challenges this year with the current prices of President Donald Trump of 25% on vehicles imported in the United States, as well as many automotive parts.
Toyota produces RAV4 in a Kentucky factory, but the majority of its sales in the United States come from vehicles built in an Ontario factory in Canada. It is currently important exclusively hybrid plug-in models for Japan American consumers.
About half of Toyota American sales are imported from the outside of the United States, including 84.3% of RAV4 models, as well as its popular intermediate pick-up truck in Mexico.
Mark Templin, head of the Toyota Motor North America, said that the company planned to produce more Rav4 models in its Kentucky factory, but has refused to offer specific plans for potential changes in production to mitigate prices.
“It will make your way. I think we will build more Rav4 in Kentucky, which will help. But it is a car so large in volume.” Now we take out one that is even better than this car. So, I think we are going to need several plants to build this. “
COX Automotive reports that RAV4 finished third in sales last year behind the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado Truck models, which include several variants. However, other third-party data companies said that the RAV4 exceeded sales of Detroit microphones last year when the models were created, such as the largest Ford F-150.
The supply of Toyota's Days – an adjusted number based on the sales rate – was among the lowest in the automotive industry, especially for RAV4.
COX Automotive reports that the supply of recent days of Toyota is at 29 days and the RAV4 is among the best -selling vehicles in the automotive industry. The industry average is 66 days, according to Cox.
Templin said that the automaker had made scenarios planning for various tariff and production results, but the situation remains fluid in the midst of Trump's commercial negotiations with other countries.
“The worst thing for an industry is uncertainty,” said Templin. “Coherence is the best thing we can all ask for.”