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

The sixth-period Toyota RAV4 will soon advance in Australia, with disclose books already originate, and a differ of deals in attain for the outgoing fifth-period model.

On the total, a brand new model altering-of-the-guard coincides with a dip in total sales, but this simply isn’t the case for Toyota’s evergreen midsizer, which closing month posted its second strongest sales end result for 2025, with a resolve of 6390 deliveries.

Speaking with Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley, it would seem the most contemporary period RAV4’s persevered primary sales is a correct indicator of success for the brand new-period.

“We’re after all good enough with the RAV4 end result attributable to there’s a chain of factors to bear in mind,” he informed Chasing Automobiles.

“That car is in scramble-out, we’ve presented the brand new model and its arrival time, and we’ve unfolded the disclose e book on the brand new model. To be still promoting the most contemporary period in these numbers is comparatively unbelievable.”

“Can have to that it is possible you’ll presumably have got in mind that you’re three-to-four months out from the open of a brand new car, that’s unbelievable… It presentations you the energy of the automobile and the strength of the product,” he concluded.

Unusual RAV4 to outsell Hilux, says Hanley

As the fifth-period Toyota RAV4 nears its retirement after a commendable six-365 days scramble, Toyota predicts that its new sixth-period model will now not most productive match its forebear’s success, this might possibly exceed it.

Speaking to Sean Hanley, Toyota claims that a rising sequence of contenders within the ute section will tedious the sales success of simplest-sellers Ford Ranger and Toyota’s cling Hilux, leaving the brand new RAV4 to quietly judge a simplest-promoting title.

“Can have to you watch on the ute section, which has got an increasing number of new avid gamers coming in, [it’s likely that] growth within the section is thanks to those new avid gamers and attributable to some are chasing onerous to attempt to preserve up volume,” acknowledged Hanley.

“[In either the first or second half of 2026], you’re gonna have various competitors taking part in for a noteworthy smaller fragment of the pie… So it makes correct sense to me that the rising SUV market might possibly presumably as a replace preserve your market-main car.”

“I’m quietly confident that [the new RAV4] might possibly presumably be the most productive seller for Toyota next 365 days, and set up some hope that it might possibly possibly presumably be the no 1 promoting car next 365 days,” acknowledged Hanley.

Whereas the Toyota Hilux is heading within the valid route to beat out the RAV4 in sales this 365 days, 2024’s sales results seen the RAV4 to advance support out on top with an stop-of-365 days sales results of 58,718 objects to the Hilux’s 53,499. Both automobiles trailed within the support of the Ford Ranger (62,593 unit sales).

Toyota’s product self belief isn’t runt to the RAV4 model itself. The new period car will introduce Toyota’s drag-in hybrid drivetrain for the first time, and it is primary that this powertrain is correctly got, particularly as rumours swirl concerning a future Hilux PHEV.

Toyota RAV4 a hybrid sales success account

Australia’s appetite for hybrid, drag-in hybrid and electrical energy is now not precisely easy to pin down. But Toyota’s comfortable transition capability to electrical energy by the plan of plugless hybrid drivetrains has shown to be efficient both here and foreign.

Almost half of of Toyota Australia’s new car sales have been hybrid this 365 days. The Toyota RAV4 is by some distance the nation’s most standard hybrid, and, slowly but indubitably, has now entirely phased out petrol-most productive variants with out detrimental attain.

The new period model will remain hybrid most productive, but can even introduce a drag-in hybrid variant so that you might possibly lift sales.

For a truly prolonged time, the Australian drag-in hybrid SUV section comprised correct two in actuality aggressive avid gamers – the Mitsubishi Outlander and BYD Sealion 6. Easiest now not too prolonged ago were these automobiles joined by the likes of Chery Tiggo 7, MG HS, Jaecoo J7, and soon, BYD Sealion 5.

Now, Toyota says the time is gorgeous to suppose in its cling drag-in heavyweight – possible as step one on a multi-model PHEV drag which is in a space to at some point encapsulate the Toyota Hilux.

“If primary most modern period [hybrid] demand is any indication, that it is possible you’ll presumably put a matter to that the [new RAV4] shall be deal better when it involves its demand – particularly the drag-in variant,” acknowledged a boisterous Sean Hanely.

When quizzed about striking forward a consistent supply of automobiles to enhance the RAV4’s sales predictions, Hanley gave the influence quietly confident.

“We’re going in with after all rock sincere [PHEV / hybrid] production plans, so we’re searching ahead to to be in a correct space,” he acknowledged.