You’ve seen all the recent Toyota teaser photos, including the back end that fooled lots of people into thinking a compact pickup truck was on the way. But this morning it’s official: What will be revealed tomorrow night in California is the fully redesigned 2027 Toyota Highlander.
Highlander Dates Back To 2001
The Highlander has been an important part of Toyota’s portfolio since the first one arrived in 2001, catering to SUV shoppers who prefer the ride and handling of a car-based unibody vehicle over a taller, truck-based, body-on-frame conventional SUV, like the Sequoia.
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Details Revealed At 9:30 PM Tuesday
But this all-new fifth-generation Highlander sets itself apart from its predecessors in a considerable way: It will be all-electric. All the details about the 2027 Highlander will come out at 9:30 pm EST tomorrow, Feb. 10, so come back to TopSpeed for the story, but for now we have another vertical teaser image of the driver’s side back end bearing the Highlander badge and “BEV AWD” below it.
Is This A Risky Play?
What Toyota has not yet clarified is the future of the entire Highlander lineup. Would Toyota really kill off a popular internal-combustion three-row SUV and replace it with an all-electric powertrain at a time the EV market is in turmoil, suffering the effects of discontinued federal tax credits?
Made In America, Driven In Japan: Toyota’s Bold Move Explained
These three models assembled in U.S. plants will make the long trek to the home market in Japan. Is there a chance to do it profitably?
Confidence In The EV Market
Might the more spacious Grand Highlander be the internal-combustion three-row flag bearer? Based on sales, this strategy could make sense. Toyota sold 136,801 Grand Highlanders in 2025 but only 56,208 Highlanders. If Toyota believes it can satisfy Highlander demand with an all-electric powertrain, then the automaker is expressing optimism for a rebounding battery for the EV market overall.
Source: Toyota