OJAI, Calif.—After dwindling sales and discontinuing the base trim level, the Toyota Highlander returns as an all-new vehicle for 2027, and, spoiler alert, it’s electric only. This is the fourth all-electric vehicle in the Toyota lineup, and the automaker’s first three-row EV. We got a sneak peek at the 2027 Toyota Highlander, and here are the five big things to know about it.
2027 Toyota Highlander revealed: 5 things to know
It’ll get up to 320 miles of range
Because it’s an EV, the biggest thing to know about the 2027 Toyota Highlander is range. Toyota estimates the top-tier models will get up to 320 miles of range with a 96-kWh battery pack and all-wheel drive. There is a base 77-kWh battery pack that will deliver a Toyota-estimated 287 or 270 miles of electric range, depending on if you opt for front- or all-wheel drive, respectively.
Though we don’t have an estimate of how long it will take the new Highlander EV to charge, we do know that it will come standard with a North American Charging Standard port (NACS) which means it will have access to the Tesla Supercharger network.
AWD models deliver 338 horsepower
The 2027 Toyota Highlander will come standard with front-wheel drive, and those models will deliver 221 horsepower and 198 pound-feet of torque. AWD models, however, will deliver up to 338 horsepower and 323 pound-feet of torque.
The Highlander EV will come equipped with paddle “shifters,” but this isn’t actually for shifting. Instead, the paddles will help set the amount of regenerative braking that is delivered when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. There is currently no word on whether one-pedal driving will be available.
There are only two trim levels: XLE and Limited
For the 2027 model year, the Highlander EV adopts a two-trim strategy: a well-equipped XLE and a better equipped Limited. The XLE will be available with both front-drive and AWD, and it will also be optioned with both battery packs, It will include features such as front acoustic glass, a 14-inch infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, heated front seats and steering wheel, leatherette seats, and Toyota’s Safety Sense 4.0.
The up-level Limited trim will only be available in AWD and with the bigger battery pack. It will also add features such as a head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated 2nd-row seats, rear sun shades, Toyota’s low-speed hands-free Traffic Jam Assist, a 360-degree camera, and front cross-traffic alert.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander will seat up to seven
In comparing the available specs for the 2027 Toyota Highlander to the current gas model, we see that the Highlander EV will be about 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider. Cargo space behind the 3rd-row remains essentially the same, and cargo space with the 3rd-row folded flat shrinks by about 3 cubic feet, totaling 46 cubic feet.
The standard seating configuration will be as a 6-passenger vehicle, but the XLE AWD model (and only this model) will come with a bench seat option, making a 7-seat configuration possible. This means the 3rd-row will only have two seats.
Still made in the U.S.
Some of the best news about the 2027 Toyota Highlander is that it will still be made in America. The current Highlander is built in Princeton, Indiana, but the next-gen model moves to Toyota’s manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Kentucky. Furthermore, the batteries for this EV will be sourced from Toyota’s newly opened battery assembly plant in Liberty, North Carolina.
CG Says:
This is an interesting time to launch a new three-row EV in the U.S., But Toyota plays the long game, and you know this has been on the agenda for several years. Besides, it looks good, has functional interior space, has decent range, and is packed with tech. While it might not make a great road-trip vehicle, it will 100 percent make an excellent carpool hauler or errand runner.
We just hope it won’t be crazy expensive. Pricing has not been announced yet, but for reference, its nearest competitors, the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, start at $56,400 and $58,955, respectively. Therefore, we anticipate the Highlander EV will fall in this range.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander is expected to go on sale by the end of 2026.
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