2027 Toyota Highlander EV Debuts as Brand’s First 3-Row Electric SUV

Toyota’s most recognizable family SUV just took a gigantic leap into the future. For 2027, Toyota has reimagined the Highlander as a fully electric three-row SUV, blending modern design, serious tech, and the practicality that made the name a global staple. 

Fans of Toyota electrification have been tracking this for weeks. Long before today’s official unveiling, we reported on PakWheels about Toyota revealing the name of its first three-row all-electric SUV, confirming it as the Highlander EV. 

This isn’t a mild facelift or a hybrid variant, it is a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) built to compete head-on with the latest EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and more.

Electric by Design but Still a Highlander

Toyota’s press release titled “Elevated Style Meets Modern Power in the Next Generation 2027 Toyota Highlander” makes its intent unmistakable: this is the Highlander you know, but electrified and elevated. The new model sports a sleek, modern exterior with broad fenders, flush door handles, and full-width LED lighting that signals a confident departure from its gas-engine past. 

Inside, a more refined cabin with customizable ambient lighting and cutting-edge digital interfaces brings the SUV into 21st-century norms.

The Highlander EV is designed to seat up to seven people comfortably, with over 45 cubic feet of cargo space once the third row is folded flat, key for families and daily usability. 

Powertrain, Range, and Capability

Toyota is offering this EV in XLE and Limited trims, with choices in front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The 95.8-kWh battery in AWD versions delivers up to an estimated 320 miles of range, with a still respectable option in the smaller 77-kWh pack. 

Front-driven versions will have slightly less power and range, but the performance across the lineup is clearly intended to satisfy U.S. consumer expectations for long-distance family travel without range anxiety. 

In total output, AWD Highlanders can muster up to 338 combined horsepower and a responsive torque figure, with AWD tech like Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control to broaden real-world capability beyond city streets. 

Technology, Comfort, and Practical Innovation

Beyond the basics, the 2027 Highlander comes with Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, a large central touchscreen, and charging ports distributed across all three rows. Innovative features like Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology let the Highlander serve as a mobile power source, great for outdoor events or even emergency backup power. 

The SUV also supports the North American Charging System (NACS) standard, giving access to thousands of DC fast-chargers across the continent. 

A Strategic Move for Toyota

This Highlander EV is not only Toyota’s first three-row electric SUV in the U.S., it’s also the first BEV assembled in America (Georgetown, Kentucky), with battery modules built domestically as well. 

For Toyota, a company long cautious about fully electric vehicles due to its historical emphasis on hybrid tech, this move is strategic. It signals confidence in electrification while capitalizing on one of its most trusted nameplates to carry that message to mainstream buyers. 

Bottom Line

The 2027 Toyota Highlander EV isn’t just a new model, it’s a milestone. It bridges Toyota’s legacy of utility and reliability with a modern EV ecosystem that families want, combining range, space, and tech in a vehicle designed to do almost everything. 

Pricing and exact specs beyond the core details are still forthcoming, but based on what Toyota has shared, this Highlander represents both a turning point for the brand and a meaningful new choice for EV buyers.

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