New Toyota RAV4 Hybrid takes shape! Watch out Mazda CX-5 Hybrid, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, the next-gen of Australia's best selling family SUV will be revealed soon and it will bring massive changes

The new Toyota RAV4 is just around the corner.

The hybrid sales king of Australia is coming towards the end of its life and Toyota could be about to reveal its successor on May 21.

Toyota has released several teaser images of a new SUV in the lead-up, which is likely to be the next-gen RAV4, and the shots give us a little bit of a taste of what’s to come.

Interior teaser images show a big multimedia screen, a sizeable digital driver display, head-up display and a stubby gear selector that opens up cabin space.

Overhead shots show a boxy mid-size SUV with a curvier front end than the current version, which fits the brand's new front end styling as seen on the new Toyota Camry and C-HR.

It also appears to have a panoramic sunroof in one of the images, which is an item lacking on the current RAV4.

The changes aren’t a complete overhaul but an evolution of the current model, with Toyota unlikely to fix what isn’t broken.

One of the biggest changes is expected to be under the bonnet with the RAV4 a candidate to use the brand’s new series of hybrid engines, which were showcased at Toyota’s multi-pathway workshop last year.

A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with hybrid boost making up to 200kW seems likely to find its way into the RAV4, which is a big jump over the current hybrid version's 160kW. A punchier 2.0-litre turbo could be on the cards, too, for a potential GR-tweaked model.

The new RAV4 will probably get a more efficient electric motor and battery system, too, helping drop fuel use below the current AWD RAV4 hybrid’s 4.8L/100km rating.  

There is a chance for an off-road focused version in the future, too. Toyota USA claimed the RAV-X concept shown at SEMA is more than just a styling exercise.

It is due to go on sale in 2026, where it will likely do battle with the new Mazda CX-5 Hybrid and petrol-electric versions of the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.

Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide earlier this year the RAV4 might be the best selling vehicle in the nation moving forward.

“It may be, and I stress maybe, that an SUV could rise to the top of the national sales charts in the next year or two, and just maybe that SUV will be a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid,” he said.

It is currently topping the sales charts in 2025, but the spectre of a refreshed model on the horizon could dent those chances.