Toyota has been teasing a new vehicle over the past couple of weeks, dating back to January 27th, when Tim thought we were getting a Ford Maverick-style mini truck in the Toyota lineup. Today, we have the full details on the all-electric 2027 Toyota Highlander.
Quick Facts
The fifth-generation of the Toyota Highlander will be 100% electric, breaking the tradition of the brand’s vehicles shifting to entirely hybrid powertrains. It enters the market at the fourth full EV in Toyota’s portfolio, behind the bZ, bZ Woodland, and the CH-R, which were all announced last summer alongside the 2026 Toyota RAV4.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander will be built in the USA, with batteries sourced from North Carolina. Given its new EV architecture, it will be the largest and most spacious Highlander Toyota has ever sold.
Two trims will be available when it goes on sale later this year; pricing is yet to be disclosed.
Assembly
The fourth-generation Highlander is currently produced in the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana facility that also produces the popular Sienna minivan. However, the 2027 Toyota Highlander EV will shift its production location to the Georgetown, Kentucky, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky facility.
Batteries will be assembled in the US at the $13.9billion Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina in Liberty, North Carolina, a facility that began production just last year.
Trims
Only two trims will be available when the 2027 Toyota Highlander goes on sale later this year: a base XLE and a top-trim Limited.
XLE models will be available in front or all-wheel drive, while Limited models will be exclusively AWD.
The closest competitor to this 2027 Toyota Highlander would be the Hyundai IONIQ 9, which offers either rear-wheel drive or AWD.
Batteries
There will also only be two battery sizes available: the standard 77 kWh battery and the larger, optional 95.8 kWh battery.
These two batteries are smaller than the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9, which employs a 110.3 kWh battery.
Range varies based on battery size and drive configuration. The longest range model will be the XLE AWD or the Limited AWD with the 95.8 kWh battery, estimated by Toyota to reach 320 miles on a single charge.
The smaller 77 kWh battery will range from 270 up to 287 miles of range, by Toyota’s estimates, in either AWD or FWD, respectively. The Hyundai IONIQ 9 is EPA-estimated at 335 miles of range in RWD configuration and between 311 and 320 in AWD.
Powertrains
Power is decent from both configurations. FWD XLE models are expected to turn out 221 horsepower and 198 lbs.-ft of torque. These numbers won’t make you want to race your Highlander against a Tesla Model X Performance, but it should be enough for regular commutes and running errands.
This is also less than the Hyundai IONIQ 9’s 215 horsepower and 258 lbs.-ft. of torque in RWD models.
The dual-motor AWD models are expected to pack a slightly bigger punch with 338 horsepower and 323 lbs.-ft of torque.
Top trims of the IONIQ 9 produce 422 horsepower and 516 lbs.-ft. of torque.
Charging
As with practically any vehicle on sale in 2026 that uses a plug for refueling, the 2027 Toyota Highlander will employ the North American Charging System, or NACS plug. Toyota estimates 10-80% of charge in about 30 minutes under ideal circumstances.
Vehicle-to-load bi-directional charging, a first for a US-spec Toyota, will allow owners to power devices at a tailgate or even items at home during a power outage, using the vehicle battery as its power source.
Dimensions
The 2027 Toyota Highlander won’t only have to compete against rivals like the Hyundai IONIQ9, but also within Toyota’s own house with the Grand Highlander. The popularity of the Grand Highlander proved to Toyota that customers wanted a larger three-row vehicle from the brand. This 2027 Highlander serves as an electric version of the Grand Highlander, as its overall dimensions are very similar.
The key difference is that, thanks to the EV architecture, the wheelbase is longer, allowing for more comfortable passenger space.
| 2027 Toyota Highlander | 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander | 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 | |
| Length | 198.8 in. | 201.4 in. | 199.2 in. |
| Width | 78.3 in. | 78.3 in. | 78 in. |
| Height | 67.3 in. | 72.1 in. | 70.5 in. |
| Wheelbase | 120.1 in. | 116.1 in. | 123.2 in. |
Cargo Capacity
Information on cargo capacity is still scarce and likely to change slightly before production begins, but we can show how the known measurements compare.
| 2027 Toyota Highlander | 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander | 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 | |
| Behind 3rd Row | 15.9 cubic feet | 20.6 cubic feet | 21.9 cubic feet |
| Behind 2nd Row | 45.6 cubic feet | 57.9 cubic feet | 46.7 cubic feet |
| Behind 1st Row | TBD | 97.5 cubic feet | 86.9 cubic feet |
Interior
Inside this three-row EV, Toyota has skipped cloth seats, opting for its SofTex seats on both trims. Heated front seats are standard on all models. Limited models add ventilation to the front seats as well as heated outboard second row seats and unique seating patterns.
Seating will be 2-2-2 for a total of six in most models, as second row captain’s chairs are standard, along with a two-seat 50/50 split third row. XLE AWD models can be had with a mid-row bench seat to increase total seating to seven.
Tri-zone climate, ample USB-C charge ports, and plenty of clever storage spaces abound, making the 2027 Toyota Highlander a capable people mover. Toyota is proud of its 18 cupholders. That is a 3-to-1 cupholder-to-seat ratio.
Other amenities like a hands-free power liftgate make loading luggage or groceries a breeze.
Technology
The 2027 Toyota Highlander will also receive the latest in software from Toyota. First shown in the 2026 Toyota RAV4, the latest-generation Toyota Audio Multimedia system, developed here in North America in partnership with Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Connected North America. Connectivity includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as in-car 5G provided by AT&T.
The 2027 Highlander also has a standard built-in Drive Recorder, a dashcam-style feature that utilizes the vehicle’s exterior cameras to capture 20-second clips of both manual and triggered events when operating.
Safety
The 2027 Toyota Highlander uses the recently updated Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, which includes:
- Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection: Detects vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists; warns the driver and can automatically brake.
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: Adaptive cruise control that maintains a set following distance from the vehicle ahead.
- Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist: Warns if the vehicle drifts out of its lane and can provide gentle steering correction.
- Automatic High Beams: Automatically switches between high and low beams based on surrounding traffic.
- Lane Tracing Assist: Helps keep the vehicle centered in its lane when cruise control is active.
- Road Sign Assist: Displays detected speed limit and road sign information in the instrument cluster.
- Proactive Driving Assist: Provides gentle braking or steering support to help manage spacing and vehicle control in everyday driving.
Additional features include:
- Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking
- Backup camera with dynamic gridlines
- Hill Start Assist Control
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System with individual tire readout
Exterior
The exterior design very much resembles a grown-up bZ, which ditches the heritage of the Highlander platform to conform to the brand’s growing EV portfolio.
Tim and I actually got a glimpse of it in an early prototype version last summer at Toyota’s HQ. It is big and imposing, and definitely demands attention on the road.
Standard 19-inch wheels on XLE trims and optional 22-inch wheels on Limited trims set off the style versus the other bZ electric models.
Flush door handles, a grille-less front facia, and twin-line wraparound LED taillights tell the world this is an EV. Two-tone paint and a linear window line give off premium vibes.
Warranty
Warranty coverage is in line with other EVs from Toyota, nothing groundbreaking here:
- Basic warranty: 36 months / 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty: 60 months / 60,000 miles
- Corrosion warranty: 60 months, unlimited miles
- EV battery warranty: 8 years / 100,000 miles
ToyotaCare:
- 1 year / 10,000 miles maintenance
- 2 years of roadside assistance (unlimited miles)
Final Thoughts
This is a clean and handsome EV that is sure to appeal to the Toyota-only crowd. It falls a bit short of existing 3-row EVs like the Kia EV9 and Hyundai IONIQ 9, but is still competitive in overall announced dimensions.
Final pricing is yet to be announced, as is a firm on-sale date. We only know this will be on sale by the end of the year.
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