Next-Gen Toyota RAV4 Design Appears to Have Been Leaked

A new generation of the immensely popular Toyota RAV4 is on the way for the 2026 model year and a leak from China now reveals what it might very well look like.

A picture posted on Weibo and shared by a number of users and outlets shows the redesign in store for Toyota’s compact SUV, which is known as Wildlander in China. It was reportedly taken at a local dealer conference lately.

The details match the camouflaged prototype that was caught testing by spy photographers in recent weeks.

Photo: Weibo

As you can see, the vehicle retains a familiar silhouette, but the front fascia is radically transformed. It borrows design cues from Toyota’s latest products, such as the C-shaped daytime running lights and the honeycomb-style grille, albeit with its own interpretation.  

But hold on before you get too carried away. There are cosmetic differences between our RAV4 as we know it and the Wildlander that’s currently sold in China. Surely that will be the case with the next generation, too. Yet, we can see that Toyota designers wanted to inject more character and presence by taking inspiration from their latest work.

There are no shots of the interior, by the way, and nothing about specs, either. From what we’ve heard, however, the plug-in hybrid variant (formerly called Prime) will offer increased EV range.

Photo: Toyota

Reports suggest the new Wildlander will be unveiled at Auto Shanghai (April 23-May 2), just days after the New York Auto Show (April 18-27). Keep following The Car Guide so you don’t miss the big reveal. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is expected to go on sale in Canada by the end of this year.

Share on Facebook

More on the subject

Top 10Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles in Canada in 2024
Following a boost of nearly 12 percent in 2023 (the largest annual increase since 1997), new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada rose 8.2 percent in 2024 to 1.86 million units, according to Automotive News Data Center. Declining interest rates are helping make up for prices that keep getting higher and …
News2025 Toyota RAV4 Gets Minor Price Hikes Ahead of Full Redesign
As previously reported, the top-selling SUV in the country soldiers on for one more year, with the next generation expected to debut as a 2026 model. And now that the 2025 Toyota RAV4 is on sale at dealerships nationwide, we can tell you that the company has decided to moderately …
Hybrid/Plug-in HybridPrime No More: Say Hello to Prius PHEV and RAV4 PHEV
With the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 on the way for the 2026 model year, the current RAV4 is essentially unchanged for 2025. Exceptions include some new body colours and new logos. You see, the RAV4 Hybrid will now sport an “HEV” badge, while the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid variant will receive …
Hybrid/Plug-in HybridTop 10 Plug-in Hybrid SUVs for 2025
Fully electric SUVs are nice, but they’re not what every driver needs. For a lot of people, a plug-in hybrid SUV makes more sense. There’s a large-capacity battery that enables dozens of kilometres of pure electric driving and a good old combustion engine to eliminate range anxiety on long trips …