Toyota’s taking the three-row Highlander SUV into fully electric territory.
Over the past few weeks, Toyota has been teasing a mysterious new model, saying something big is just around the corner. Well, at least now we officially know what folks have guessed at over that time. When it officially lands tomorrow (February 10) at 9:30 PM Eastern Time, we’ll get our first proper look at the 2027 Highlander. And it won’t be like the Highlanders that preceded it.
In fact, this version of the Toyota Highlander will be a full BEV, officially expanding the automaker’s electric offerings beyond the bZ crossover in the process.
“Meet the all-new 2027 Highlander,” Toyota’s final teaser statement on the model says. “Featuring sleek, modern lines, an electric powertrain, and a spacious three-row cabin with comfort for the whole crew.”
To that end, this new Highlander model will go head-to-head with options like the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, assuming it eventually launches with a similar mid-$50,000s price point.
Interestingly, Toyota is sticking to the vanilla “Highlander” name, rather than trying to go with “Highlander BEV” or “bZ Highlander” or something along odder lines. This also potentially clears up exactly what’s happening with the OG Highlander, as it’s had to share showroom and lot space with the Grand Highlander these past couple years. Now, it may soon be a bit easier to parse: Highlander looks like it will go fully electric, while Grand Highlander will continue to offer the ICE and hybrid options.
To be clear, at this point the automaker did not confirm the gas Highlander or Highlander Hybrid’s imminent demise. Considering the Grand Highlander appears to be pulling sales away from its smaller sibling, though, this would make some sense.
As far as technical details, Toyota doesn’t have anything to say just yet. However, we don’t have long to wait, as we will know a lot more tomorrow evening.
