America’s Favorite Compact SUV Just Ditched the Gas-Only Option

You want relevance? Here it is, folks. The one that matters. Our guest represents the sixth design generation of the Toyota RAV4 compact SUV, the perennial sales leader in its segment and one of the bestselling, most trusted family vehicles in the U.S.

Bentleys and Lotuses are fun for the few; the RAV4 owns the love of multitudes. The newsy bit: As of model-year 2026, all RAV4s are hybrid RAV4s — Toyota has eliminated the gas-only option, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The new RAV4 HEV gets a boost in poke (236 hp, AWD/226 hp, FWD) compared to the outgoing hybrid. The other figure of merit: 43 mpg, combined (FWD). Not bad for a vehicle from the Yeti Cooler school of design.

Built around a 2.5-liter inline-four, Atkinson-cycle gas engine, RAV4’s hybrid system employs a dual planetary gearset — an electronically controlled CVT — and two integrated electric motors, one dedicated mostly to propulsion and the other regenerative braking/charging of the battery.

AWD models have an independent electric motor on the rear axle, for on-demand all-wheel drive.

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