Toyota Gives The RAV4 Woodland Actual Suspension Upgrades For 2027

A little over a year ago, Toyota debuted its latest RAV4. For the first time, it became available in trims like GR Sport and Woodland. Now, the latter is getting a serious update for 2027. Upon its debut, the biggest change, other than some body cladding, was that the all-terrain tires it came with boosted its ride height. That's not all that shocking. We just got back from testing the new Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro, and that company admitted early on that its XRT products were mostly appearance packages.

Since then, Hyundai's been working hard to incorporate hardware to back up the badge and the styling. Now, it appears that Toyota is following that lead and giving the RAV4 Woodland more than just all-terrain tires. In fact, after looking at all of these changes, it wouldn't be shocking if some of the earliest buyers of the new RAV4 feel a little green with envy.

It's one thing to look off-road ready and another to actually have the hardware to back it up. For 2027, the RAV4 Woodland gets more of the latter, starting with new springs and shocks that boost total ground clearance from 8.5 inches — on the prior version — to 9.1. In addition, there are new jounce bumpers so at full suspension compression, bottoming out isn't as harsh in the cabin or on the components. 

On top of that, there are software changes worth noting. Last year, the Woodland had a Trail mode. That's gone now, and instead, drivers have more granular control via two new modes: 'Rock & Dirt' and 'Mud & Sand'. Being able to tell the car what type of ground it's on is a nice addition, though Hyundai is working to give the task to AI. Finally, the entire fleet of 2027 PHEV RAV4s, including the Woodland, gets a NACS port, DC fast-charging, and an 11-kW onboard charger. 

Previously, the Woodland and XSE offered this onboard charger and DC charging, but now, it's included across the lineup. Speaking of the PHEV drivetrain, it continues with the same 321-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder that it did last year. Toyota says it'll achieve up to 38 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 37 mpg combined for the Woodland. The SE is rated for up to 42, 39, and 41 mpg, respectively. Each PHEV offers at least 45 miles of all-electric range when fully charged.