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- Toyota’s Highlander is getting a ground-up redesign for 2027 — and the longtime family SUV will now go fully electric.
- The car’s battery is produced in the automaker’s new North Carolina plant. Assembly is completed in Kentucky.
- Buyers who still want a hybrid Highlander will have to look to the larger Grand Highlander.
Toyota is turning the Highlander — one of its most established nameplates — into an EV.
The 2027 model is the SUV’s first ground-up redesign in more than a decade and will be Toyota’s first three-row EV for the US market.
It’s also the first battery-electric Toyota to be assembled in America, with production set for Kentucky using US-made batteries.
The Japanese automaker, which lagged rivals Hyundai, General Motors, and Ford in rolling out EVs earlier this decade, is now rapidly expanding its US electric lineup.
As one of the brand’s core urban SUVs — slotting between the top-selling RAV4 and the larger Grand Highlander and Sequoia — the Highlander’s shift to battery power shows Toyota is betting big on electrifying its mainstream models, not just niche offerings.
Here’s what the upcoming American-made electric Highlander will look like:
Toyota’s first three-row EV in America
Toyota is aggressively expanding and rejigging its EV lineup. This year, it’s introducing the bZ Woodland and the C-HR while updating its bZ.
In 2027, families will have two options: a second-row set of captain’s chairs that will seat six, or a bench setup with room for seven butts.
That puts Toyota in a very competitive market. It will now compete with Kia’s EV9 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 9. Premium buyers can also opt for the Rivian R1S, the Cadillac Vistiq, the Cadillac Escalade IQ, the Volvo EX90, and the Lucid Gravity.
An all-American Toyota EV
Production for the Highlander EV is decidedly American.
The three-row is assembled at Toyota’s Kentucky plant, where the automaker already makes the Camry and RAV4.
Battery production is also in the US — batteries will roll out of the company’s $13.9 billion North Carolina plant.
Highlander’s first design refresh since 2020
After this year’s RAV4 overhaul, the Highlander had become one of the oldest SUVs in Toyota’s lineup. The outgoing model traces its roots back to 2013, with only a mid-cycle facelift in 2020.
The 2027 Highlander is a true ground-up redesign — and it looks the part. It adopts cleaner body lines, a more upright stance, squared-off wheel arches, semi-flush door handles, and full-width LED lighting in the front and rear.
“This new Highlander is designed to be a stylish, high-tech leader in the midsize SUV segment,” David Christ, the vice president and general manager of Toyota North America, said in a press release.
Toyota goes big on the touchscreens
The Highlander EV features a new 14-inch central touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch fully digital driver display. Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 and the brand’s latest Audio Multimedia system come standard.
It’s a meaningful tech upgrade for Toyota, which has often trailed Detroit rivals in screen size and software sophistication.
As Ford and GM push subscription services, more advanced driver-assistance features, and larger digital displays, Toyota is signaling it intends to compete more aggressively in the digital arms race.
Up to 45 feet of cubic cargo space — and Toyota’s biggest-ever panoramic roof
The Highlander EV is big.
With the third row folded flat, Toyota says it offers 45.6 cubic feet of cargo space — roughly enough room for seven full-size suitcases. Even with all seats upright, there’s still 15.9 cubic feet behind the third row. There’s no front trunk.
Toyota is offering a fixed panoramic glass roof on both trims, which it says is the largest available window in its US lineup.
Two battery options pair with two drivetrain offerings and two trims.
Toyota is keeping the lineup simple with two trims: XLE and Limited. The Limited comes standard with all-wheel drive and the larger 95.8-kWh battery, along with upgrades like ventilated front seats and rear sunshades.
The XLE offers more flexibility. Buyers can choose between a 77.0-kWh or 95.8-kWh battery, and pair it with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
All-wheel-drive models are the most powerful, producing up to 338 horsepower, while the larger battery delivers the longest range.
Range peaks at a listed 320 miles
The larger battery has enough juice to carry the Highlander EV up to 320 miles, Toyota says.
Range on the smaller battery depends on the powertrain: the front-wheel-drive options can travel 287 miles, while all-wheel drive options top out at 270 miles.
An electric family hauler — that doubles as a generator?
The Highlander EV can also double as a backup power source.
Toyota is equipping the SUV with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability — a first for a Toyota sold in the US — allowing owners to plug in appliances, tools, or camping gear directly into the vehicle’s battery.
In practical terms, that means the Highlander could power a tailgate, a job site, or even provide temporary electricity at home during an outage.
Toyota is also adopting the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, allowing it to plug into Tesla Superchargers — the largest EV charging network in the US.
Read the full article here
