2026 Toyota RAV4 interior shown ahead of launch next week
Parts of the interior of the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 have been revealed ahead of the crossover's launch on May 21.
Overnight Toyota Europe published two photos, one showing the upper section of the dashboard and steering wheel, and the other revealing the centre tunnel section dividing the driver and passenger's seats.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
From the first photo we can see the dash panel has a chunkier design than today's car. Ahead of the driver is steering wheel — possibly with only two spokes — featuring squared-off spokes with a larger buttons.
The digital instrumentation screen does without a binnacle, and what looks to be a larger infotainment touchscreen stands clear in the middle of the dashboard.
In the next photo we can see the centre stack flows directly into the centre tunnel. The rubberised rings for the climate control knobs have been ushered away, as has the traditional gear shifter, which has been replaced by a flick switch.
The cupholders are now lined up along the spine of the car, and the central armrest, as well as the cubby bin beneath, look as though they extend further forward than before.
We can also see new seat designs, and a new look for the door cards.
The automaker has also issued a few shots of the exterior, but these only show the vehicle from long range and high above, so we're unable to make out any details.
Thanks to spy photos we know the sixth-generation RAV4 will have a new front end with C-shaped headlights not dissimilar to the ones used on the latest Camry. Japanese media believe the rear end will feature full-width tail-lights.
Although the door apertures look to be same, leaked images out of China indicate the outer sheet metal has been changed to incorporate more creases and folds.
"We could sell 500,000 of those things [RAV4] a year if we could build them, so we do not want to mess up that formula," Toyota Motor North America product planning head Cooper Ericksen told Automotive News in July 2024.
Up until the end of April, the RAV4 (17,610) is leading the Australian sales race, just ahead of the Ford Ranger (17,257) and Toyota HiLux (15,120).
In the States, the RAV4 has usurped the Camry to become the country's leading passenger car. According to Good Car Bad Car, after the first quarter of 2025 the RAV4 (115,402) currently sits in third spot behind the Ford F-Series (190,389) and Chevrolet Silverado (129,714).
MORE: Everything Toyota RAV4
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Parts of the interior of the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 have been revealed ahead of the crossover's launch on May 21.
Overnight Toyota Europe published two photos, one showing the upper section of the dashboard and steering wheel, and the other revealing the centre tunnel section dividing the driver and passenger's seats.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
From the first photo we can see the dash panel has a chunkier design than today's car. Ahead of the driver is steering wheel — possibly with only two spokes — featuring squared-off spokes with a larger buttons.
The digital instrumentation screen does without a binnacle, and what looks to be a larger infotainment touchscreen stands clear in the middle of the dashboard.
In the next photo we can see the centre stack flows directly into the centre tunnel. The rubberised rings for the climate control knobs have been ushered away, as has the traditional gear shifter, which has been replaced by a flick switch.
The cupholders are now lined up along the spine of the car, and the central armrest, as well as the cubby bin beneath, look as though they extend further forward than before.
We can also see new seat designs, and a new look for the door cards.
The automaker has also issued a few shots of the exterior, but these only show the vehicle from long range and high above, so we're unable to make out any details.
Thanks to spy photos we know the sixth-generation RAV4 will have a new front end with C-shaped headlights not dissimilar to the ones used on the latest Camry. Japanese media believe the rear end will feature full-width tail-lights.
Although the door apertures look to be same, leaked images out of China indicate the outer sheet metal has been changed to incorporate more creases and folds.
"We could sell 500,000 of those things [RAV4] a year if we could build them, so we do not want to mess up that formula," Toyota Motor North America product planning head Cooper Ericksen told Automotive News in July 2024.
Up until the end of April, the RAV4 (17,610) is leading the Australian sales race, just ahead of the Ford Ranger (17,257) and Toyota HiLux (15,120).
In the States, the RAV4 has usurped the Camry to become the country's leading passenger car. According to Good Car Bad Car, after the first quarter of 2025 the RAV4 (115,402) currently sits in third spot behind the Ford F-Series (190,389) and Chevrolet Silverado (129,714).
MORE: Everything Toyota RAV4
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Parts of the interior of the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 have been revealed ahead of the crossover's launch on May 21.
Overnight Toyota Europe published two photos, one showing the upper section of the dashboard and steering wheel, and the other revealing the centre tunnel section dividing the driver and passenger's seats.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
From the first photo we can see the dash panel has a chunkier design than today's car. Ahead of the driver is steering wheel — possibly with only two spokes — featuring squared-off spokes with a larger buttons.
The digital instrumentation screen does without a binnacle, and what looks to be a larger infotainment touchscreen stands clear in the middle of the dashboard.
In the next photo we can see the centre stack flows directly into the centre tunnel. The rubberised rings for the climate control knobs have been ushered away, as has the traditional gear shifter, which has been replaced by a flick switch.
The cupholders are now lined up along the spine of the car, and the central armrest, as well as the cubby bin beneath, look as though they extend further forward than before.
We can also see new seat designs, and a new look for the door cards.
The automaker has also issued a few shots of the exterior, but these only show the vehicle from long range and high above, so we're unable to make out any details.
Thanks to spy photos we know the sixth-generation RAV4 will have a new front end with C-shaped headlights not dissimilar to the ones used on the latest Camry. Japanese media believe the rear end will feature full-width tail-lights.
Although the door apertures look to be same, leaked images out of China indicate the outer sheet metal has been changed to incorporate more creases and folds.
"We could sell 500,000 of those things [RAV4] a year if we could build them, so we do not want to mess up that formula," Toyota Motor North America product planning head Cooper Ericksen told Automotive News in July 2024.
Up until the end of April, the RAV4 (17,610) is leading the Australian sales race, just ahead of the Ford Ranger (17,257) and Toyota HiLux (15,120).
In the States, the RAV4 has usurped the Camry to become the country's leading passenger car. According to Good Car Bad Car, after the first quarter of 2025 the RAV4 (115,402) currently sits in third spot behind the Ford F-Series (190,389) and Chevrolet Silverado (129,714).
MORE: Everything Toyota RAV4
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Parts of the interior of the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 have been revealed ahead of the crossover's launch on May 21.
Overnight Toyota Europe published two photos, one showing the upper section of the dashboard and steering wheel, and the other revealing the centre tunnel section dividing the driver and passenger's seats.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
From the first photo we can see the dash panel has a chunkier design than today's car. Ahead of the driver is steering wheel — possibly with only two spokes — featuring squared-off spokes with a larger buttons.
The digital instrumentation screen does without a binnacle, and what looks to be a larger infotainment touchscreen stands clear in the middle of the dashboard.
In the next photo we can see the centre stack flows directly into the centre tunnel. The rubberised rings for the climate control knobs have been ushered away, as has the traditional gear shifter, which has been replaced by a flick switch.
The cupholders are now lined up along the spine of the car, and the central armrest, as well as the cubby bin beneath, look as though they extend further forward than before.
We can also see new seat designs, and a new look for the door cards.
The automaker has also issued a few shots of the exterior, but these only show the vehicle from long range and high above, so we're unable to make out any details.
Thanks to spy photos we know the sixth-generation RAV4 will have a new front end with C-shaped headlights not dissimilar to the ones used on the latest Camry. Japanese media believe the rear end will feature full-width tail-lights.
Although the door apertures look to be same, leaked images out of China indicate the outer sheet metal has been changed to incorporate more creases and folds.
"We could sell 500,000 of those things [RAV4] a year if we could build them, so we do not want to mess up that formula," Toyota Motor North America product planning head Cooper Ericksen told Automotive News in July 2024.
Up until the end of April, the RAV4 (17,610) is leading the Australian sales race, just ahead of the Ford Ranger (17,257) and Toyota HiLux (15,120).
In the States, the RAV4 has usurped the Camry to become the country's leading passenger car. According to Good Car Bad Car, after the first quarter of 2025 the RAV4 (115,402) currently sits in third spot behind the Ford F-Series (190,389) and Chevrolet Silverado (129,714).
MORE: Everything Toyota RAV4
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less. Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch. "There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2," BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull's chances for Australia. 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Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating. Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD's entry-level 'God's Eye C' system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability. The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from: The BYD Seagull could become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here. BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup. Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the 'Dolphin Surf' – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less. Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch. "There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2," BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull's chances for Australia. That's despite the once-booming micro segment it would compete in now offering only two models – the Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500/500e – accounting for only 0.6 per cent (3130 vehicles) of total new car sales year-to-date. By comparison, Chinese-market sales of the Seagull were a staggering 61,131 in May 2025 alone, making it the brand's best-selling single model there. "If we look at the numbers of the micro segment, is there opportunity? Has the customer had a lot of choice?", Ms Hornstein added while speaking with CarExpert at a BYD driving event in China. The only electric contender in the micro segment right now is the Fiat 500e priced at $52,500 before on-road costs. The second hurdle – the lack of a five-star ANCAP safety rating – would rule the electric hatch out for many fleet and government customers, and could also turn off some private buyers. Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating. Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD's entry-level 'God's Eye C' system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability. The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from: The BYD Seagull could become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here. BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup. Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the 'Dolphin Surf' – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less. Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch. "There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2," BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull's chances for Australia. That's despite the once-booming micro segment it would compete in now offering only two models – the Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500/500e – accounting for only 0.6 per cent (3130 vehicles) of total new car sales year-to-date. By comparison, Chinese-market sales of the Seagull were a staggering 61,131 in May 2025 alone, making it the brand's best-selling single model there. "If we look at the numbers of the micro segment, is there opportunity? Has the customer had a lot of choice?", Ms Hornstein added while speaking with CarExpert at a BYD driving event in China. The only electric contender in the micro segment right now is the Fiat 500e priced at $52,500 before on-road costs. The second hurdle – the lack of a five-star ANCAP safety rating – would rule the electric hatch out for many fleet and government customers, and could also turn off some private buyers. Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating. Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD's entry-level 'God's Eye C' system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability. The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from: The BYD Seagull could become Australia's most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here. BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup. Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the 'Dolphin Surf' – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Because it's smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand's new price-leader. In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less. Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch. "There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2," BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull's chances for Australia. That's despite the once-booming micro segment it would compete in now offering only two models – the Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500/500e – accounting for only 0.6 per cent (3130 vehicles) of total new car sales year-to-date. By comparison, Chinese-market sales of the Seagull were a staggering 61,131 in May 2025 alone, making it the brand's best-selling single model there. "If we look at the numbers of the micro segment, is there opportunity? Has the customer had a lot of choice?", Ms Hornstein added while speaking with CarExpert at a BYD driving event in China. The only electric contender in the micro segment right now is the Fiat 500e priced at $52,500 before on-road costs. The second hurdle – the lack of a five-star ANCAP safety rating – would rule the electric hatch out for many fleet and government customers, and could also turn off some private buyers. Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating. Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD's entry-level 'God's Eye C' system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability. The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment. The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently 'Unrated' by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago. The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its 'God's Eye' tech. "I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I've almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity," Ms Hornstein said. "The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range." Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
7 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Only four per cent of Aussies take their SUV off-road
A study by Continental Tyres has revealed only four per cent of Australians take their SUVs off-road – despite buying them for their 'outdoor' appeal. Australians buy more SUVs than any other vehicle type, with higher-riding five-door wagons having overtaken conventional sedans and hatchbacks as the most popular body type in 2017 – and every year since. Despite the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes making headlines as the nation's top-selling models, SUVs of varying sizes still make up the majority of new car purchases each year. The Toyota RAV4 was the second-best selling vehicle – and top-selling SUV – in Australia in 2024 and remains behind only the Ranger year-to-date. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The popularity of SUVs – which saw almost 700,000 sold in 2024, accounting for more than half of all new cars sold here – has prompted tyre brands including Continental to develop an SUV-specific tyre for Australian customers. The German tyre manufacturer surveyed 1000 Australian drivers during the development of its UltraContact UX7 tyre to determine if there was genuine customer demand for an SUV-specific tyre – and what those demands were. Its survey showed one-in-four Australians associated SUVs with a sense of adventure and outdoor recreation, yet only four per cent took their SUVs off-road. The figure isn't a shock given the term SUV – a marketing slogan that stands for Sports Utility Vehicle – now refers to a variety of vehicles, from car-based urban compact SUVs like the Mazda CX-3 through to genuine off-road capable vehicles such as the ladder-frame Ford Everest 4×4. The term 'crossover' or CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) is not widely used in Australia but typically refers to car-based or 'unibody' vehicles – such as the Toyota Corolla Cross – with increased ride height and ground clearance compared to a hatch or sedan. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents purchased their SUV for its 'high driving position' and perceived additional luggage space, while 62 per cent said improved visibility due to the driving position played a key factor in their decision to buy an SUV. A total of 21 per cent purchased their SUV for 'family transport' and 19 per cent for long-distance travel. Yet Continetal found most Australians said they would buy an SUV-specific tyre – hence its introduction of the UltraContact UX7 – despite almost half (46 per cent) of respondents buying their SUV mainly for 'everyday transport'. It wasn't all positive, with a quarter (25 per cent) of respondents saying SUVs are more difficult to park, with 17 per cent suggesting the space they take up on the road is a drawback. More than 55 per cent believed SUVs are no more dangerous than other vehicle types, but 11 per cent did say SUVs drivers are rude and 10 per cent described SUV drivers as 'aggressive'.
