Gen six line landing later this year takes country’s most popular car into new pricing territory - topping at almost $67k.

SIGNIFICANT uplifts in pricing have attached to the next generation versions of the country’s most popular car of the moment.

The new Toyota RAV4, the first in seven years, is set to land later this year to replace a car that achieved as the top-selling passenger model of 2025.

The replacement brings fresh styling, a new GR Sport grade, more technology - with factory-new availability of plug-in hybrid as an alternate to the hybrid it only has now - and new safety features.

It is also the first Toyota here with a connected services function that will, among other abilities, send out a SOS call in event of an accident.

However, self-contained hybrid editions have lost power and those revisions come at a cost.

Pricing shared by Toyota New Zealand today suggests the new car will in all versions be more expensive than the outgoing equivalents, some by a fair bit.

Five of the nine incoming editions are stickering above the priciest version of the current car.

Four of those new models will also take the five-seater soft raider into the $60,000-plus zone, a new territory for this product.

The cheapest and dearest new models also appear to site $10,000 above their equivalents in the current range, when full recommended retails are considered.

In the outgoing line, the least expensive choice was $39,990. Now that price leader, once again a front-drive GX, places at $49,990.

The priciest product in the current family has been a the all-wheel-drive Adventure, at $56,990.

In the new tribe, the GR Sport - a plug-in hybrid, also all-paw - is the most expensive buy-in, at $66,990.

The three other PHEVs also site above the current Adventure, starting with a $57,990 GXL in front-drive, as do two highest-trimmed all-wheel-drive hybrids, the $63,990 Limited and a new Adventure, at $60,990.

Toyota’s PHEV also appears to price above the emergent comparable drivetrains coming into like-sized competitor cares, often under the ‘super hybrid’ mantle. These tend to offer even more electric-pure range than that from the Japanese market leader.

The price hikes are not unexpected. Australia, which takes essentially the same line-up that will filter into New Zealand - probably from around March, though that’s not been full explained - has been hit by an 11 percent lift on average.

The new RAV4 uses a version of its predecessor's underpinnings, but wears boxier bodywork and has an all-new interior with larger screens.

PHEV has previously only availed to Kiwis on a used import type, mainly delivered here by Toyota NZ’s used car channel.

The plug-in RAV4 is powered by a 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine matched with a single front electric motor in front-wheel-drive versions, producing 201kW combined.

All-wheel-drive variants add a rear electric motor for a combined 227kW - the most power ever meted this model - for a zero to 100kmh acceleration time of 5.8 seconds.

Both layouts are paired with a 22.7kWh battery pack for up to 100km of claimed electric-only driving range in European WLTP testing, as well as charging at up to 50kW DC or 11kW AC. Many Chinese super hybrids claim even superior EV-pure driving.

Regular hybrid versions of RAV4 use a new-generation 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric system producing 143kW in front- or all-wheel-drive forms, down from 160kW and 163kW respectively from the previous model.

That’s to meet new emissions regulations NZ adopted at end of 2025, to align with Australia’s regulatory standards.

Fuel consumption figures are yet to be published.

Editions designated as Core models are expected to account for the majority of sales.

If current trends continues, that means they will be the types most likely to be found on fleet use, particularly with rental operators whose buy-in of the current car has been prolific.

A media share from TNZ quotes chief strategic officer Andrew Davis expressing confidence RAV4 will continue to set the benchmark for what Kiwi drivers want in an SUV.

“RAV4 has become the car for everyone. If you look around the streets and highways … during the week you will see families heading to school and sales reps calling on clients. On the weekend, RAV4s hit the highways loaded up with families and friends, surfboards and bicycles.”

Davis cited introduction of a NZ-new PHEV RAV4 as representing as a major step forward on Toyota’s electrification pathway.

“The RAV4 PHEV adds a new dimension and is built for the Kiwi way of life and the access to charging infrastructure that we have here in NZ.

“Its pure EV capability makes everyday trips smooth and quiet, while longer journeys are worry-free thanks to its ability to switch to hybrid mode where it uses both the electric and petrol powertrains.”