The Toyota Highlander is now a three-row electric SUV with a range of up to 320 miles

Toyota has unveiled the new 2027 Highlander, a completely redesigned midsize SUV that represents the brand’s first three-row electric vehicle for the U.S. market and the first electric Toyota to be assembled in America. It’s a household name — Toyota has been selling gas-powered Highlanders for more than 20 years — with an all-new powertrain aimed squarely at one of the most popular vehicle segments on the market today. To say this is Toyota’s best chance to outperform its EV rivals would be an understatement.

The announcement comes at a turbulent time for the world’s best-selling automaker. Toyota strategy Focus on hybrid vehicles over battery electric ones It appears to have been vindicated, with global electric vehicle sales slowing and the company’s competitors announcing huge losses related to their investments in electric vehicles. But Toyota has too New CEOCFO Kenta Kon, a close ally and former secretary of current President Akio Toyoda. Kuhn’s rise is seen as an acknowledgment that Toyota, under his financial leadership, has successfully navigated the chaos surrounding Chinese electric vehicles, global tariffs and a costly and drawn-out transition to electric vehicles.

The Toyota Highlander is an acknowledgment of some of those challenges. They will be built at Toyota’s factory in Kentucky, at a time when domestic manufacturing is seen as the best way to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs. It’s a three-row midsize SUV, and it’s the most popular car segment in America right now. It uses a familiar nameplate, to acknowledge this Most customers didn’t know what “bZ” stood for. (It’s “post-zero”) And they weren’t exactly interested in learning.

The new Highlander will come in only two models: XLE and Limited. The XLE is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the Limited comes with all-wheel drive standard. Battery options include a 77-kWh pack and a larger 95.8-kWh pack, depending on configuration. All-wheel drive models with the larger battery will get up to 320 miles of rated range, plus 338 horsepower and 323 pound-feet of torque. (Front-drive models will offer 221 horsepower and 198 pound-feet of torque.)

It will come with an updated infotainment setup, much like that found in the new C-HR and bZ Woodland electric SUVs. This includes a 14-inch central touchscreen, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, customizable ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and comprehensive charging options for devices in all three rows. And when you look up, you’ll see a fixed panoramic glass roof – the largest ever offered by Toyota.

Powered by AT&T 5G connectivity, the Highlander’s new infotainment system offers a customizable home screen, enhanced voice recognition with “Hey Toyota” commands, dual Bluetooth phone connectivity, and integrated streaming services like Spotify and SiriusXM.

The new Highlander seats seven, with a third row that can accommodate two passengers. When additional cargo space is needed, the third row folds flat to provide more than 45 cubic feet of rear storage space. There are a host of additional features, such as wireless charging trays, multiple USB-C ports across all three rows, rear HVAC controls, optional rear window shades, and a hands-free power liftgate.

The Highlander EV will be equipped with a NACS port for accessing the Tesla Supercharger. Under the right conditions, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes using DC fast charging. Battery preconditioning, which prepares the battery for optimal charging, comes standard, and can be activated manually or automatically through a Drive Connect subscription (which is about $15 per month). The Highlander can also slow-charge using Level 1 or 2 chargers, and will come with a dual-voltage 120V/240V charging cable.

It will also be Toyota’s first electric vehicle to have drive-thru charging capabilities, allowing it to function as a mobile power bank. Toyota says the Highlander can serve as a backup power source during a power outage when equipped with optional two-way accessories. Toyota says it will make more announcements about this new feature in the future.

In terms of size, the new Highlander will compete toe-to-toe with other three-row electric SUVs on the road. It is 198.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 67.3 inches high, with a wheelbase of 120.1 inches. This is similar to Toyota’s current gas-powered Grand Highlander and comparable to other electric vehicles, such as the Rivian R1S, Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and others.

Toyota says it will announce the price of the new Highlander later this year, when it enters production. But the automaker certainly has some time in the world of electric cars. recently BZ Renewal Toyota (formerly bZ4x) has been a surprise hit for Toyota, finishing fourth in overall US EV sales in January, ahead of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. And there’s more to come with both C-HR hatchback The bZ Woodland is expected to go on sale in the United States later this year.

Toyota has an opportunity to make up for its lackluster EV efforts with all these new vehicles. We’ll see if he seizes the moment.