Strong sales for RAV4 in light of new generation an indicator of future success, says Toyota

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The sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 will soon arrive in Australia, with order books already open, and a range of deals in effect for the outgoing fifth-generation model. 

Usually, a new model changing-of-the-guard coincides with a dip in overall sales, but this simply isn’t the case for Toyota’s evergreen midsizer, which last month posted its second strongest sales result for 2025, with a figure of 6390 deliveries.

Speaking with Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley, it would seem the current generation RAV4’s continued strong sales is a good indicator of success for the new-generation. 

“We’re really happy with the RAV4 result because there’s a number of factors to consider,” he told Chasing Cars. 

“That car is in run-out, we’ve announced the new model and its arrival time, and we’ve opened up the order book on the new model. To be still selling the current generation in these numbers is quite incredible.” 

“When you consider that you’re three-to-four months out from the launch of a new car, that’s incredible… It shows you the power of the car and the strength of the product,” he concluded.

New RAV4 to outsell Hilux, says Hanley 

As the fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 nears its retirement after a commendable six-year run, Toyota predicts that its new sixth-generation model will not only match its forebear’s success, it will exceed it. 

Speaking to Sean Hanley, Toyota claims that a growing number of contenders in the ute segment will dull the sales success of best-sellers Ford Ranger and Toyota’s own Hilux, leaving the new RAV4 to quietly assume a best-selling title.

“When you look at the ute segment, which has got more and more new players coming in, [it’s likely that] growth in the segment is because of those new players and because some are chasing hard to try to maintain volume,” said Hanley.

“[In either the first or second half of 2026], you’re gonna have a lot of competitors playing for a much smaller piece of the pie… So it makes good sense to me that the growing SUV market could instead sustain your market-leading vehicle.”

“I’m quietly confident that [the new RAV4] will be the best seller for Toyota next year, and hold some hope that it could be the number one selling car next year,” said Hanley.

While the Toyota Hilux is on track to beat out the RAV4 in sales this year, 2024’s sales results saw the RAV4 to come out on top with an end-of-year sales result of 58,718 units to the Hilux’s 53,499. Both vehicles trailed behind the Ford Ranger (62,593 unit sales). 

Toyota’s product confidence isn’t limited to the RAV4 model itself. The new generation vehicle will introduce Toyota’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain for the first time, and it is critical that this powertrain is well received, particularly as rumours swirl regarding a future Hilux PHEV. 

Toyota RAV4 a hybrid sales success story 

Australia’s appetite for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric power is not exactly easy to pin down. But Toyota’s gentle transition approach to electric power by the means of plugless hybrid drivetrains has shown to be effective both here and abroad.

Nearly half of Toyota Australia’s new vehicle sales have been hybrid this year. The Toyota RAV4 is by far the nation’s most popular hybrid, and, slowly but surely, has now entirely phased out petrol-only variants without adverse effect. 

The new generation model will remain hybrid only, but will also introduce a plug-in hybrid variant in an effort to boost sales. 

For a long time, the Australian plug-in hybrid SUV segment comprised just two genuinely competitive players – the Mitsubishi Outlander and BYD Sealion 6. Only recently were these vehicles joined by the likes of Chery Tiggo 7, MG HS, Jaecoo J7, and soon, BYD Sealion 5. 

Now, Toyota says the time is right to bring in its own plug-in heavyweight – likely as the first step on a multi-model PHEV journey which will at some point encapsulate the Toyota Hilux. 

“If strong current generation [hybrid] demand is any indication, you can expect that the [new RAV4] will be significantly better in terms of its demand – particularly the plug-in variant,” said a boisterous Sean Hanely. 

When quizzed about maintaining a consistent supply of vehicles to support the RAV4’s sales predictions, Hanley seemed quietly confident.

“We’re going in with really rock solid [PHEV / hybrid] production plans, so we’re expecting to be in a good position,” he said.