Selling a used Toyota RAV4 now the new generation is here

When you sell a RAV4 bought new between 2021 and 2025, you’re selling the XA50 generation, and a buyer’s first questions are whether it’s petrol or hybrid, which grade it is, and whether it’s 2WD or AWD. Neither the end of petrol orders in June 2024 nor the dearer new generation that arrived in 2026 sets your car’s price on its own. The offer still comes down to the exact variant, the kilometres, the condition and whether recall work is done.

Which RAV4 do you have: the XA50 or the new generation?

If your RAV4 was sold new between 2021 and 2025, it’s the fifth-generation model, often called the XA50 after its model code. It has been on sale in Australia since 2019. The sixth generation reached showrooms in 2026, and CarExpert reported that it topped Australia’s new-vehicle sales chart in April and July 2026.

The two look quite different, but describe yours by generation as well as by year, especially if it was bought or registered around the changeover. Here is how they compare, using figures reported by CarExpert.

On paper, the new hybrid’s combined output is lower than the XA50 hybrid’s. The new plug-in hybrid (PHEV), at up to 227kW with AWD, has more power than any XA50 RAV4, the strongest of which made 163kW.

Petrol or hybrid: what changed in June 2024?

On 5 June 2024, Toyota Australia announced it was closing orders for the petrol versions of the RAV4, Kluger, Corolla Cross, Corolla and Camry, leaving only hybrids. From then on, new RAV4 orders were for hybrids only. Because petrol and hybrid RAV4s were both sold in 2024, the year alone doesn’t tell a buyer which engine a 2024 car has.

Before the switch, the XA50 had three powertrains:

• A 2.0-litre petrol (127kW, 203Nm) driving the front wheels, in the GX, GXL and Cruiser. The GX was also sold with a six-speed manual until early 2022.
• A 2.5-litre petrol (152kW, 243Nm) with AWD, in the Edge only.
• A 2.5-litre hybrid, 160kW with 2WD or 163kW with AWD, across most grades.

The update priced from 1 March 2022 added the XSE, a hybrid-only grade, gave the Edge its first hybrid option and dropped the GX manual. By October 2024, CarExpert’s listing of the 2025 range showed every RAV4 as a 2.5 hybrid, with the Edge AWD only.

What does that mean when you sell? The switch didn’t take petrol RAV4s off the road; it means Toyota no longer sells new ones here. A buyer looking at your petrol RAV4 is comparing it with used hybrids and with the new range, and petrol or hybrid is one part of the variant they price, alongside grade, drive, kilometres and condition. If you own a hybrid and have records of any hybrid system checks at a Toyota dealer, keep them with the logbook.

What does the new RAV4 bring, including the plug-in hybrid?

The sixth-generation RAV4 has no petrol-only version either, and CarExpert described its PHEV as Toyota Australia’s first plug-in hybrid model. According to CarExpert:

• The hybrid pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with electric motors for a combined 143kW, in FWD or AWD.
• The PHEV has a 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery and about 100 km of electric range on the WLTP test. It makes 200kW with FWD or 227kW with AWD.
• There are six grades: GX, GXL, Edge, XSE, Cruiser and GR Sport. The PHEV was listed as the XSE 2WD, XSE AWD and GR Sport AWD, so the GR Sport is a PHEV with AWD only.
• When pricing was announced, the range ran from $45,990 for the GX 2WD to $66,340 for the GR Sport, before on-road costs.

CarExpert reported that the PHEV made up 39 per cent of RAV4 sales in July 2026, its first full month on sale, and that a GXL 2WD PHEV is due in showrooms in the first three months of 2027.

For an XA50 owner, the practical change is that buyers who want to plug in now have a RAV4 that does it. Buyers who don’t want to plug in may be weighing a used RAV4 like yours against a new hybrid, and that’s where price comes in.

If you already own a new-generation RAV4 and want to sell, the same questions apply: grade, drive, kilometres, condition and history. With a PHEV, keep the charging cable that came with it and any paperwork for a home charger. Our guide to selling a plug-in hybrid covers what buyers check on the battery side.

Does the new RAV4 make your old one worth less?

Not by itself. A buyer prices your RAV4 on its variant, kilometres, condition and history, and the new model is one more thing they compare it with.

What the new model does change is the price gap. CarExpert reported the new GX 2WD at $45,990 before on-road costs, $3,730 more than the outgoing entry model. When a new generation costs noticeably more, late examples of the outgoing car can look relatively good value next to it. That’s a general pattern across the market, not a promise about any one car.

It works in the other direction too. Research reported by EV Central found that used Tesla prices fell sharply in 2023 and 2024 after Tesla cut its new-car prices. New-car pricing is one input; the wider used market is another, and our guide to whether used car prices are falling looks at where that stands now.

You may also come across figures for how well RAV4s hold their value. A commercial car-buying guide published in June 2026 said clean three-year-old RAV4 Hybrids “routinely hold around 80% to 84%” of their initial value. Treat that as indicative only. It isn’t from an official price guide, it can’t account for your car’s condition, and it isn’t how we price cars.

Has your RAV4 had the instrument cluster fix?

The recall to check first on a 2022 to 2025 RAV4 is REC-006390. Published on 22 July 2025, it covers 69,586 Toyotas built from 2022 to 2025, including the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid. It also takes in some Kluger, Corolla and Camry Hybrid models. A memory device inside the instrument cluster can deteriorate, and when it does, the display can stay blank. The fix is a software update.

Why does it matter when you sell? A blank instrument display is hard to explain away on a test drive or at an inspection, and buyers and dealers check for open recalls as a matter of course. Recall work is free at a Toyota dealer, so book it before you sell rather than leaving it for the next owner.

How to check your RAV4:

1. Find the 17-character VIN. It’s usually on your registration papers, on a plate you can see through the base of the windscreen and on a label inside the driver’s door frame.
2. Enter it in the government’s vehicle recall search.
3. Ask a Toyota dealer to check the VIN for open recalls and service campaigns too.
4. Keep the job card or invoice once the work is done.

New-generation PHEVs have a recall of their own. CarExpert reported in October 2026 that Toyota is recalling 5,925 RAV4 PHEVs (REC-006742). A manufacturing fault in the motor generator control unit means the motor’s start-up process may not complete correctly. Warning lights can come on, and the car may go into fail-safe mode or shut down, losing drive. Toyota said it will write to affected owners to arrange a free repair at a Toyota dealer.

Recall lists change, and no list in a guide like this is complete. Our guide to checking open recalls before you sell explains how to read the search results.

What will a valuer ask about your RAV4?

Most questions on a valuation call are about pinning down exactly which RAV4 you have. Use this as a checklist before you ring anyone.

A made-up example of a complete description: “2022 RAV4 XSE Hybrid AWD, 58,000 km, logbook serviced, cluster recall done, two keys, no finance.” One line like that answers most of the call’s questions before they’re asked, and it means the offer is for your car, not a guess at it.

Buying the new RAV4? Trade in or sell yours separately

If you’re selling because you’ve ordered a new RAV4, the Toyota dealer will probably offer to take your current one as a trade-in. That’s convenient, but the trade-in figure is often folded into the changeover price, which makes it hard to see what you’re getting for the old car.

Ask for the trade-in value as a separate number, in writing, then compare it with an offer from a buyer who only wants your car. If there’s finance owing, either path involves paying out the loan. Our guide to selling your car instead of trading it in covers how to line up the timing so you’re not left without a car while you wait for delivery.

Getting a firm offer on your RAV4

Once you know your generation, engine, grade, drive and recall status, you can decide how to sell. A private sale means answering the petrol-versus-hybrid and recall questions for every caller, then handling the payment and paperwork yourself. Selling to a licensed dealer means one valuation call, one inspection and one buyer.

Sell Your Car Australia is run by Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd, a NSW licensed motor dealer (MD 077404), with a valuer who has priced cars since 1992 and supplies dealerships nationwide. We buy RAV4s from 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less. If yours is older or has done more, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help.

You get a genuine offer by phone, not an online estimate. The deposit is often paid the same day, and the inspection happens after you accept, at a time and place that suits you. The balance goes into your bank account, and the car is collected only after you confirm the funds have cleared.

If there’s finance owing, we deal with your lender directly to pay out the loan, then pay you any equity. Settlement usually takes 2 to 3 business days, and any negative equity has to be covered before settlement. We prepare the sale paperwork, help with the transfer of ownership and arrange collection anywhere in Australia. Usually no roadworthy or safety certificate is needed when you sell to us; rules differ by state and we confirm on the call. The valuation is free, there’s no obligation and no fees come out of the offer.

Our page on selling your RAV4 has the details, and the same process applies to any SUV. You can also call us on 1800 73 55 73.