New RAV4 GR Sport Has More Power Than A GR Corolla

Let’s face it, when we think of SUVs, the “sporty” part usually feels like an afterthought, buried somewhere under a pile of cargo space and roof rails. Toyota’s best-selling RAV4, for example, has been the poster child for practicality, not performance. With the reveal of the 2026 sixth-gen RAV4, Toyota is finally attempting to bring some sportiness into the equation with a GR Sport trim. This version brings styling and chassis upgrades making it the America’s only truly sporty option in its class.

The 2026 RAV4 lineup now regular, Sport and more rugged Woodland trims, giving buyers more options. While the GR Sport shares its body kit with the Sport trim, it takes things further with a more aggressive stance.

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The most obvious changes are the exterior upgrades, starting with a revised grille pattern similar to what we get with the thoroughbred GR Corolla, a splitter, and, most notably, one of the biggest roof spoilers we’ve seen on a compact SUV. The 20-inch alloy wheels fill out the trapezoidal wheel arches, adding to the car’s athletic vibe. And if you’re feeling particularly flashy, the GR Sport is available in an exclusive Supersonic Red with a Black roof combination.

Inside, Toyota keeps it simple. While the cabin doesn’t undergo any major upgrades, you’ll find GR-branded touches like logos on the headrests and steering wheel, paddle shifters, and aluminum pedals.

Toyota claims the RAV4 GR-Sport was crafted with input from their Gazoo Racing engineers. While we can’t say for sure if those aero add-ons actually do anything beyond looking cool, the GR treatment is more than just skin-deep. The SUV gets a GR-tuned suspension, enhanced power steering, and increased body rigidity. Sure, we’re not expecting it to handle like a hot hatch, but for anyone who actually cares about driving dynamics, these upgrades might just make the RAV4 GR Sport a little more exciting behind the wheel.

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However, it does come with Toyota’s more potent plug-in hybrid setup, which combines a 2.5-liter engine and dual electric motors to produce a beefy 320 horsepower (239 kW / 324 PS). For context, that’s 20 horse more than what you get with the 2025 GR Corolla that makes do with 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque from its turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. It’s also standard with AWD, though Toyota has yet to release any performance numbers, so we’ll have to wait and see how it handles the 0-60 mph test.

Europeans Already Know The Drill

While the GR-Sport is making its debut in North America, Europeans already had access to a GR Sport version of the previous-gen RAV4 since 2022. This model had subtler styling updates but also sportier suspension tweaks. Alongside the RAV4, European buyers also had access to sportier trims of the Yaris Cross, C-HR, and Corolla Cross.

Last year, Toyota Gazoo Racing president Tomoya Takahashi teased the idea of a fully-fledged GR SUV. He acknowledged the company’s limited resources for new product development, leaving the door open for speculation on which model might be next in line for a full GR transformation. Could the RAV4 be the one? Only time will tell.

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