After more than two decades in production, Toyota reimagined its Highlander as an electric SUV.
Since the 2001 model year, Toyota’s Highlander has been a staple of the brand’s SUV lineup as a size step up from the RAV4. Now, though, the automaker isn’t just giving the Highlander a new look for a new generation. It’s going in a completely different direction, engineering its latest three-row SUV as a fully electric model — the fourth such option in Toyota’s growing electric lineup alongside the bZ, bZ Woodland and C-HR.
“Built to carry the whole crew” is how Toyota pitches this new BEV, offering a family hauler to directly take on the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Seating up to seven, the 2027 Highlander measures out to 198.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide and 67.3 inches in height, while riding on a long 120.1-inch wheelbase. Overall, this new electric model is a bit shorter than the gas and hybrid Highlander it replaces, but rides on a significantly longer wheelbase (nearly 8 inches) and carries a 4-inch longer total length. It’s still slightly shorter than the Grand Highlander vertically and overall, but only by a couple inches when you break out the tape measure.
At the front, the fifth-generation 2027 Toyota Highlander adopts the brand’s latest corporate styling. The angular front end, flat fascia and thin running lights are shared with the latest RAV4 and some of the brand’s cars like the Camry and the Prius. The lack of a conventional grille and full-width running lights front and rear, on the other hand, are common traits shared with the C-HR and bZ, signifying the Highlander’s newfound electric heritage.
Two grades, two battery sizes and two powertrain options
The 2027 Toyota Highlander carries forward the company’s standard trim walk, though at launch two options will be available. The XLE is the base model, bringing in 19-inch wheels, the LED lighting, flush electronic door handles, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 14-inch touchscreen, SofTex-trimmed seats, 64-color ambient lighting and Toyota’s Safety Sense 4.0 suite of active convenience and safety tech. The XLE doesn’t get too many options, but you can get bench seating on this grade, instead of second-row captain’s chairs.
At the top end, the Limited grade adds in all the creature comforts you’d expect. On top of the heated front seats and steering wheel of the XLE, the Limited brings in heated second row seats, ventilated front seats, a head-up display, rear sunshades, and upgraded driver assist features like Advanced Park, Lane Change Assist and Front Cross-Traffic Alert. The Limited also comes with the largest battery pack by default, while options like two-tone paint and 22-inch wheels are available to the top trim. A panoramic sunroof and JBL 11-speaker audio system are available on both grades.
Powertrain and battery specs
Being the entry-level trim, the 2027 Toyota Highlander XLE nets you the smallest battery pack by default. A 77-kWh pack powers the more affordable model, offering up to 287 miles of range if you go for the front-wheel drive version. The XLE AWD with the 77-kWh pack drops the range figure to 270 miles, according to Toyota’s estimates.
A larger battery pack option ups the side to 95.8-kWh, and is optional on the XLE AWD and standard on the Limited AWD (a dual-motor powertrain is also standard on the Limited). Both trims net 320 miles of estimated range, bringing the Highlander within striking distance of the Hyundai Ioniq 9.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander comes with a Tesla-style NACS port for access to a widening range of DC fast-charging stations. Under ideal conditions, Toyota says, you’ll be able to charge from 10% to 80% state-of-charge in around 30 minutes. The Highlander also packs battery preconditioning to improve charging speed, but…there is a but. To gain access to that feature, you’ll have to contend with a 3-year trial of Toyota’s Drive Connect, then continue subscribing beyond that point.
Toyota’s new electric Highlander also includes a dual-voltage 120/240V charging cable as part of the purchase. That way, owners will be able to utilize Level 1 and Level 2 charging, depending on what’s available to them outside DC fast-charging networks.
Meet the most potent (non-Grand) Highlander yet*
Unlike its closest rivals, the 2027 Toyota Highlander brings a front-wheel drive, single-motor layout by default, rather than rear-wheel drive. The base powertrain, available only on the XLE, brings an output of 221 horsepower and 198 lb-ft of torque.
The all-wheel drive XLE and Limited, as you’d expect, bring in a second electric motor. In the process, the power level increases to 338 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque. While Toyota calls that output “satisfying”, it is also the same as the smaller bZ. So, if the numbers look familiar, that’s why. (It’s worth noting, too, that power figure is also available on the small C-HR, so that will be a bit of a pocket rocket, while the Highlander will still be able to make some zippy progress.)
When will the 2027 Toyota Highlander go on sale, and how much will it cost?
At the moment, we don’t yet know exactly how much the new electric Highlander will cost. That said, the XLE will probably land somewhere in the $50,000s — at least if Toyota wants to be competitive with the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. The Limited, on the other hand, may tip the scales at around $60,000.
One promising development that will inevitably affect price is where Toyota plans to build the Highlander. It will manufacture this new model at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant, with the battery packs sourced from its new $13.9 billion assembly plant in Liberty, North Carolina. Since both the battery pack and final assembly are happening in America, that should insulate the all-electric Highlander from external price shocks (at least in theory).
Sales of the 2027 Toyota Highlander will kick off in late 2026, spilling over into early 2027. We’ll get official MSRPs closer to the on-sale date, so keep your eye out for those details around fall time frame.
