Toyota has taken the wraps off the 5th-gen Highlander for the North American markets with a couple of interesting firsts. The new Highlander is not only Toyota’s first three-row BEV, but also the first BEV assembled in America. It’ll be assembled at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) in Georgetown, Kentucky. Sales are expected to begin in late 2026 with the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) announcement closer to the sale date.
The 2027 Highlander is built on a modified Toyota Next Generation Architecture-K (TNGA-K) platform that was newly developed to house the SUV’s high-capacity battery and maximize passenger space, the company said. The design is rather bland and boring, I’d say, but ties-up with the brand’s latest design language.
The overall height of 67.3-inches lowers the roofline by 0.8-inch versus the outgoing model; overall width increased to 78.3-inches for an added 2.3-inches; and the wheelbase becomes 120.1-inches, up from 112-inches. According to Toyota, these changes are to achieve a modern look and confident stance. Total cargo space is claimed to be over 1,274 litres (45 cu.ft.).
In America, buyers get to choose from four variants. For starters, there’s the XLE FWD, which, as the name suggests, packs a front electric motor with estimated output figures of 165 kW (224 metric hp/221 bhp) and 268 Nm (198 lb-ft). A 77 kWh battery pack is estimated to offer a range of up to 462 km (287 mi).
Next up, we’ve the XLE AWD with two electric motors, offering combined figures of 252 kW (343 metric hp/338 bhp) and 445 Nm (328 lb-ft). The battery pack is the same 77 kWh, estimated to offer a range of up to 435 km (270 mi).
The XLE AWD is also available with a larger 95.8 kWh battery pack with an estimated range of up to 515 km (320 mi). There’s also the Limited AWD variant with the same specs as the XLE AWD.
Toyota claims that the battery pack can be fast-charged from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. The new Highlander can also serve as a mobile power source with vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology, a first for a Toyota model sold in the United States.
Key highlights inside, depending on the variant, include SofTex-trimmed seating, heated seats, a dual Qi wireless charging tray, multiple USB-C chargers, a 14-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and 64-color ambient lighting. Options include a panoramic glass roof and a 11-speaker JBL audio system. All variants come with Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 ADAS suite.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
