Toyota has unveiled its newest RAV4 model, the first to incorporate its Arene software development platform. Simon Humphries, Toyota’s Chief Branding Officer, described the launch as the beginning of the company’s shift towards software-defined vehicles.
The Arene platform powers key features in the new RAV4, including the multimedia system’s cockpit voice assistant, central display, and advanced safety technologies.
Since its launch in 1994, the RAV4 has become one of Toyota’s best-selling models globally, with over a million units sold last year.
The sixth-generation RAV4 is set to launch across North America, Japan, and Europe before March 2026, offering hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The plug-in hybrid models will boast a battery-only range of 150 km (93 miles).
Sources indicate Toyota is reconsidering plans to produce the new model in Japan and Canada, with discussions underway to manufacture it in the United States to mitigate the impact of US import tariffs.
Currently, the RAV4 is produced in Kentucky, Japan, and Canada. Toyota has not made any official announcement regarding production changes.
