Toyota unveiled the new 2027 Highlander, a fully redesigned midsize SUV that marks the brand’s first three-row electric vehicle for the US market and the first Toyota EV assembled in America. It’s a familiar name — Toyota has been selling gas Highlanders for over 20 years — with an all-new powertrain aimed directly at one of the most popular vehicle segments in the market today. To say this is Toyota’s best chance to best its EV rivals would be an understatement.
The announcement comes at a tumultuous time for the world’s best-selling automaker. Toyota’s strategy of emphasizing hybrid vehicles over pure battery-electric ones seems to have been vindicated, as global EV sales slow down and the company’s rivals report huge losses related to their EV investments. But Toyota also has a new CEO, finance chief Kenta Kon, a close ally and former secretary of current chairman Akio Toyoda. Kon’s ascension is seen as an acknowledgement that Toyota, under his financial stewardship, has successfully weathered the chaos around Chinese EVs, global tariffs, and the expensive and extended shift to EVs.
The Toyota Highlander is an acknowledgement of some of those challenges. It’s going to be built at Toyota’s factory in Kentucky, at a time when domestic manufacturing is the best way to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs. It’s a three-row, midsize SUV, which is the most popular vehicle segment in America right now. And it’s using a familiar name plate, acknowledging that most customers didn’t know what “bZ” stood for (it’s “beyond zero”) and weren’t exactly interested in learning.
The Toyota Highlander is an acknowledgement of some of those challenges.
The new Highlander will only come with two trims: XLE and Limited. The XLE is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the Limited comes standard with AWD. Battery options include a 77kWh pack and a larger 95.8kWh pack, depending on the configuration. And the AWD models with the larger battery will get up to 320 miles of estimated range, as well as 338 horsepower and 323lb-ft of torque. (FWD trims will offer 221hp and 198lb-ft of torque).
It will come with an updated infotainment setup, much like the one found in the new C-HR and bZ Woodland electric SUVs. That includes a 14-inch central touchscreen, a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, customizable ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and extensive charging options for devices in all three rows. And when you look up, you’ll see a fixed panoramic glass roof — the largest ever offered by Toyota.
The Highlander’s new infotainment system, powered by AT&T 5G connectivity, offers a customizable homescreen, enhanced voice recognition with “Hey Toyota” commands, dual Bluetooth phone connectivity, and integrated streaming services such as Spotify and SiriusXM.
The new Highlander seats seven, with a third row able to accommodate two passengers. When additional cargo space is needed, that third row folds flat to create more than 45 cubic feet of rear storage. And there’s a raft of additional features, like wireless charging trays, multiple USB-C ports across all three rows, rear HVAC controls, optional rear window shades, and a hands-free power liftgate.
The Highlander EV will come equipped with a NACS port for Tesla Supercharger access. Under the right conditions, the battery can charge from 10-80 percent in approximately 30 minutes using DC fast charging. Battery preconditioning, in which the battery is prepared for optimal charging, comes standard, and can be activated manually or automatically through a Drive Connect subscription (which is about $15 per month). The Highlander can also slow charge with Level 1 or 2 chargers, and will come with a dual-voltage 120V/240V charging cable.
It will also be Toyota’s first EV with vehicle-to-load capabilities, allowing it to function as a mobile power bank. Toyota says the Highlander can even serve as a backup power source during a blackout when equipped with optional bidirectional accessories. Toyota says it will have more announcements about this new feature in the future.
Size-wise, the new Highlander will go toe-to-toe with other three-row electric SUVs on the road. It will be 198.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 67.3 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 120.1 inches. That’s similar to Toyota’s current gas-powered Grand Highlander and comparable to other EVs, like the Rivian R1S, Kia EV9, and Hyundai Ioniq 9, among others.
Toyota says it will release the price of the new Highlander later this year, when it goes into production. But the automaker is certainly having a bit of a moment in the EV world. The recently revamped bZ (formerly bZ4x) has been a surprise hit for Toyota, coming in fourth in overall EV sales in the US in January, ahead of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E. And there’s more to come, with both the C-HR hatchback and bZ Woodland expected to go on sale in the US later this year.
Toyota has a chance to make up for its lackluster effort in EV production with all these new vehicles. We’ll see if it seizes the moment.
Source: www.theverge.com
