Toyota recasts Highlander as 3-row electric SUV, even as industry reverses from EVs

Toyota (TM) reintroduced its once-popular Highlander three-row SUV arsenic a afloat EV with improved capabilities, conscionable arsenic the manufacture pushes distant from costly artillery electrics.

Toyota, which was precocious to the EV game, hopes there's an opening adjacent arsenic request for EVs has waned. The existent gas-powered Highlander volition beryllium phased out, arsenic the larger Grand Highlander usurped its buyers, leaving an opening for the caller Highlander arsenic a afloat electrical option.

The 2027 Highlander comes with wholly caller styling, including a sleeker, low-profile look, but retains the three-row SUV layout that made it popular.

The Highlander features seating for 7 passengers and a caller interior plan with a 14-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch driver's display, and Toyota's latest multimedia infotainment and operator information systems.

The SUV comes with 2 artillery options — 77.0 kWh and 95.8 kWh — with the larger mentation susceptible of 320 miles of range.

Toyota said the conveyance volition beryllium assembled astatine its Kentucky mill and its artillery modules volition travel from Toyota's North Carolina artillery plant, truthful it won’t beryllium exposed to tariffs.

Read more: 6 steps to find inexpensive car security successful 2026

The Highlander volition beryllium Toyota's archetypal three-row EV SUV. Deliveries volition statesman successful precocious 2026, with pricing disposable person to launch.

"We judge that artillery electrical vehicles are an important portion of the industry, and we privation to marque aggregate disposable to customers," Toyota Motor North America radical vice president David Christ said astatine the motorboat event. "We went from 1 to 4 [EVs] successful 2026, truthful we're truly excited astir that enactment for customers, not lone successful pricing, but besides successful size and capabilities. So we truly person a BEV for everybody."

Though a compelling product, the caller Highlander comes arsenic EV income person been waning successful the US, with the nonaccomplishment of the national EV taxation recognition hurting EV sales. In immoderate cases, consumers person besides balked astatine EVs owed to mostly higher costs and concerns astir charging infrastructure successful the US.

Toyota is simply a large proponent of hybrids, which are large sellers successful the US, truthful the pivot to much EVs is curious. It could besides beryllium the lawsuit that Toyota sees an opening present arsenic different competitors withdraw, particularly if the Japanese car elephantine tin assemble the vehicles cost-effectively.

The Big Three automakers person collectively booked $52.1 cardinal successful losses and impairments related to their EV businesses.

In presumption of larger EV SUVs, Ford (F) canceled its three-row EV conception owed to request and price. Volkswagen (VWAGY) volition halt importing its ID. Buzz large-form EV aft being disposable for lone 1 twelvemonth successful the US.