Toyota Rav4 Plug In Hybrid Test

Hybrid mode uses a bit of engine and a bit of battery to be most efficient, and charging will pump up the battery using the engine as a generator to use later. So if you’re heading into town, you can build up some electricity to use when you are in the traffic. There’s also a ‘Trail’ mode if you want to tackle a muddy field, as it maximises traction. The RAV4 PHEV will also tow a tonne and a half braked trailer.

With its electric drive and 2.5-liter from having to rev high, where it can become noisy. The plug-in version has an EPA-estimated 42 miles of electric-only driving range, and it got 34 mpg once it reverted to hybrid mode .

Running as a hybrid, economy settled at around 40mpg . Total range when brimmed with petrol and electricity was close to 500 miles. It’s all very respectable, which makes the claimed 280mpg and 22g/km lab figures all the more ridiculous.

There's plenty of power for passing RAV4, which we review separately. "In Edmunds' testing, it reached 60 mph in an impressively quick 5.9 seconds .

For this RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid review, I test-drove a Woodland and a GR Sport in Arizona, with a brief stint in a standard hybrid XSE to assess the ride and handling differences. Toyota had not announced prices at the time of this writing, but we know the RAV4 PHEV will be built in Japan and

For the first time, the hybrid RAV4 is available in a front-drive configuration. The all-wheel-drive version has even more oomph, with 236 hp. The powertrain for the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the RAV4 gained 22 hp for 2026, raising its combined output to 324 hp .

The plug-in's three electric motors provide a nice shove at any speed, and given that the previous model got to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds , we think the new version will be similarly swift, if not quicker.

-

While the Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid earns better fuel economy, can tow more, and has more standard features than the RAV4 or RAV4 Hybrid, its starting price is over $15,000 higher than the gas-only RAV4 and over $11,000 more than the regular RAV4 Hybrid. Whichever RAV model you choose, you'll get a roomy, efficient SUV with plenty of useful tech features. Visit Newburgh Toyota and test