Toyota has been famously oh-so-cautious about going all-in with fully electric vehicles, but the all-new 2027 Toyota Highlander indicates those tides tides might be turning.
Toyota has been experimenting with the Highlander over the last little while. Not too long ago, Toyota split up the lineup and created the Grand Highlander, pitched as a bigger and more premium-feeling option for those who felt the regular Highlander was too tight for family-hauling duty, not to mention outdated.
Now, Toyota is pushing ahead with another big change: the regular Highlander is now fully electric, aimed squarely at the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9. And when production fully ramps up at their Kentucky plant later this year, it’ll be the first fully electric vehicle Toyota makes in North America.
The fifth-gen Highlander is built on top of a modified version of Toyota’s existing TNGA-K platform — the same one underpinning the Grand Highlander. For now, Toyota will offer three trims in Canada, including the XLE, XLE Premium, and the Limited. The base XLE starts with front-wheel-drive and a 77 kWh battery pack; all-wheel drive is available and Toyota separately lets you spec a bigger 95.8 kWh battery pack.
From there, the XLE Premium and Limited models come exclusively with AWD and the bigger battery pack. Toyota says the base XLE FWD with the small battery can do up to 458 kilometres on a single charge, while opting for AWD reduces that slightly to 431 km. Both the XLE Premium and Limited trims claim a 473-kilometre range estimate; if you want the most range, the XLE AWD with the big battery comes in at 511 km.
The Highlander’s single-motor, front-wheel-drive layout is rated at 221 horsepower and 198 pound-feet of torque — not that much of an improvement over its hybrid predecessor — but AWD models have much more of a spring in their step, with 338 hp and 323 lb-ft of torque. On charging, the 2027 Highlander uses a NACS port and can do a 10-to-80 per cent DC fast-charge in about half an hour. It’s also the first Toyota sold in North America with vehicle-to-load capability, meaning you can power small appliances or even your house for a short time during a blackout.
Visually, the fifth-gen Highlander’s increased size translates to more presence and more interior space. The new look is much chunkier and more squared-off, the daytime running light treatment ties into other Toyota models, and naturally, the rear end is characterized by a lightbar connecting the tail lights. The creases and folds might not be for everyone, but you can’t argue with the upsized proportions. It’s wider overall and has a longer wheelbase, giving it more interior space despite a slightly lower roofline. Speaking of, anyone else see a bit of Wagoneer S along the side?
Inside, the 2027 Highlander sees another round of massive improvements. It gets a serious tech upgrade, notably a 14-inch touchscreen for the infotainment flanked by a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. It’s a completely different setup from the Grand Highlander, coming across as more minimalist if that’s more your jam. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are still standard, Toyota still gives you physical switchgear, and it uses a similar phone storage/dual wireless charger centre console as the new bZ.
Toyota hasn’t yet specified how much extra passenger and cargo space you now have at your disposal, aside from 450 litres behind the third row and 1,275 when folded. That’s actually less than before, but we’ll reserve final judgment until we see the 2027 Highlander in the flesh. The slightly sleeker roofline probably has something to do with it. At least it has 18 cupholders.
Toyota says we can expect the fully electric 2027 Highlander in dealers by the end of 2026. Pricing will be announced closer to then. Also, we totally called it.
