22-05-2025
Toyota shows off new RAV4 with in-house Arene software system
Toyota's sixth-generation RAV4 comes in either a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid model. (Go Takahashi)
Toyota Motor Corp. has rolled out a fully redesigned RAV4 for the first time in six years, marking a major step forward in its push toward next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The RAV4 is one of Toyota's key global models, accounting for 10 percent of the company's total vehicle sales in 2024 with 1.05 million units sold worldwide.
The sixth-generation RAV4 announced on May 21 does not have a model that runs solely on gasoline and instead comes in two electric versions: a hybrid vehicle (HV) and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV).
Toyota touts that drivers can cover up to 150 kilometers exclusively on an electric charge in the PHV, a more than 50 percent increase in distance. Acceleration and off-road performance have also been improved.
In a first for Toyota, the new RAV4 features the company's operating system for vehicles that was developed in-house and is known as Arene.
This software platform allows for over-the-air updates to enhance driving performance, safety features and other core functions in real time.
Toyota plans to install Arene in more models in the future in its attempt to position the new RAV4 as a pioneer with its software-driven strategy.
The new RAV4 is scheduled to launch in Japan by March 2026. Pricing details are to be announced at a later date.
Originally introduced in 1994, the RAV4 has become one of Toyota's most successful global vehicles. In 2024, nearly half of the model's sales, 480,000 units, were in the United States.
This has raised concerns about the potential impact of the 25 percent additional auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
