2027 Toyota Highlander Goes Fully Electric and Changes the Family SUV Playbook
The Toyota Highlander has spent decades being the “default” answer for families who want three rows without diving into full-size SUV bloat. For 2027, Toyota moves the Highlander into a new generation with a big pivot: every 2027 Toyota Highlander is a battery-electric vehicle. That is a bold decision for a nameplate that has long thrived on familiarity and low-drama ownership, and it raises a real question. Are mainstream family buyers actually ready to go all-in on charging routines, public fast chargers, and trip planning? Some are, plenty aren’t.
Still, the fifth-generation 2027 Highlander does not dabble. Toyota reshapes the body, reworks the cabin around a larger tech stack, and offers multiple battery sizes and drivetrains depending on trim. It also becomes Toyota’s first three-row BEV for the U.S. market and the first Toyota BEV built in America, which matters for supply chain messaging and likely for volume ambitions.
A familiar shape, but a very different stance
The new 2027 Toyota Highlander looks cleaner and more geometric than the outgoing model, and it leans hard into the aero-conscious EV design language without going full jellybean. Toyota lowers the overall height to 67.3 inches, stretches the wheelbase to 120.1 inches (up from 112.0), and pushes overall width out to 78.3 inches. Those are not subtle changes, and they should pay dividends in stability and cabin packaging.
Up front, the lighting takes a slim, separated approach with a full-width daytime running light theme and the main lamps set apart. The body sides look smoother than previous Highlanders, with broad fenders and simpler door surfacing. Toyota also fits semi-flush exterior door handles that use an electronic latch, another EV-era cue aimed at reducing drag.
From a design standpoint, it feels like Toyota wants the 2027 Highlander EV to look more “engineered” than “cute,” which fits the role. At the same time, this sharper, more minimal face may not land with every buyer who liked the old Highlander’s softer, more conventional expression. It’s a different vibe, and that’s the point.
Toyota offers a mix of single-tone and two-tone paint choices, including a new color called Spellbound, plus Wind Chill Pearl, Heavy Metal, Everest, Reservoir Blue, and Midnight Black Metallic. Two-tone combinations pair several colors with a black roof. Wheel sizes start at 19 inches on XLE with aero-style caps, while the Limited can be optioned with 22-inch wheels.
Platform changes and a quieter cabin mission
Toyota builds the 2027 Highlander on a modified version of its TNGA-K architecture, reworked to accommodate a large underfloor battery while prioritizing passenger room. Toyota also focuses on airflow management underneath the vehicle, using underbody covers and aero pieces intended to reduce turbulence around the tires.
Noise suppression gets more attention than the average spec sheet typically suggests. Toyota lists noise-absorbing materials across multiple areas, including door trim, pillars, wheel wells, roof, and underfloor sections. Acoustic glass appears on the front windshield and front side glass, and XLE models specifically call out front acoustic glass as a standard feature. In an EV, where powertrain noise disappears, those details matter because wind and tire sound suddenly become the headline.
Interior design aims for modern and practical, not weird
Toyota gives the 2027 Highlander a tech-forward cockpit layout centered on a 14-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The climate controls keep physical buttons, which is a small but meaningful choice for a family SUV that will spend its life being driven while someone asks for a different temperature every 90 seconds.
Ambient lighting comes standard with 64 color options, and Toyota even ties it into the Safe Exit Assist concept by using door lighting alerts when the system detects a potential hazard. The cabin materials step up too: SofTex-trimmed seats come standard, along with soft-touch surfaces on the dash and doors. Interior color choices include Black, Portobello, and a new Misty Gray.
A fixed glass panoramic roof is available across the lineup, and Toyota says it will be the largest panoramic roof offered in its lineup. That is the kind of feature families love on paper, though it can also become a “why is it so hot back here” feature in certain climates if the shading and coatings aren’t excellent.
Three rows for seven, with real storage math
The 2027 Highlander keeps its three-row mission intact. Seating tops out at seven passengers when equipped with the available second-row bench seat, which Toyota limits to the XLE AWD configuration. Otherwise, second-row captain’s chairs come standard.
Toyota claims the third row can accommodate two adults, and access improves via an electronically assisted one-touch fold function on the second-row seats. Behind the third row, cargo volume measures 15.9 cubic feet. Fold the third row flat and cargo space grows to 45.6 cubic feet. A hands-free power liftgate comes standard, and Toyota says folding the third row is as simple as pulling a lever in the rear area.
Toyota also obsesses, in a good way, over charging ports and storage bins. The center console includes a dual Qi wireless charging tray angled to help keep phones from sliding around. USB-C ports show up throughout the cabin, including on the backs of the front seats for second-row passengers and on the rear window ledges for the third row. There are 18 cupholders, because of course there are. Rear HVAC controls sit at the back of the center console, and rear window shades are available, particularly relevant for the Limited grade.
All-electric powertrains with two battery sizes and two personalities
The headline for the 2027 Toyota Highlander is simple: no gas engine, no hybrid option, just electric. Toyota offers front-wheel drive on the XLE and all-wheel drive on XLE and Limited. The personality split looks significant based on output figures alone.
The 2027 Highlander XLE FWD produces 221 horsepower and 198 lb-ft of torque. AWD models jump to 338 combined system horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque. Toyota has not released 0 to 60 mph times or top speed figures yet, so performance comparisons will have to wait.
Battery sizing depends on trim and drivetrain:
XLE FWD: 77.0-kWh battery, manufacturer-estimated 287 miles of range
XLE AWD: 77.0-kWh battery, manufacturer-estimated 270 miles of range
XLE AWD (optional battery): 95.8-kWh battery, manufacturer-estimated 320 miles of range
Limited AWD: 95.8-kWh battery standard, manufacturer-estimated 320 miles of range
For a three-row family vehicle, that 320-mile estimate will get the most attention, and not just from road trippers. Families often want slack in the range buffer because life is messy. School pickup turns into errands, then into practice, then into “we forgot the thing.” Still, the move to a fully electric Highlander does force a lifestyle question in a way the old gas and Highlander Hybrid models never did. A lot of households can charge at home and will love it. A lot of apartment dwellers and street parkers will not.
Charging hardware goes NACS, but ownership details still matter
Toyota fits the 2027 Highlander EV with a North American Charging System (NACS) port, positioning it for broad access to DC fast charging stations in the U.S. Under ideal conditions on a DC fast charger, Toyota says it can go from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in about 30 minutes.
For home charging, the Highlander supports Level 1 and Level 2 AC charging. Toyota includes a dual-voltage 120V/240V charging cable, and the SUV uses an 11-kW onboard AC charger.
Battery preconditioning comes standard, with manual activation available. Automatic activation can also work when the navigation system routes to a fast charger, but Toyota ties that feature to an active Drive Connect trial or subscription (with a three-year trial included). Plug and Charge capability also arrives, but Toyota connects it to an active Remote Connect trial or subscription (again, three-year trial included). That is where the EV family-suv reality gets a little complicated: the hardware may be ready, but some convenience layers depend on subscriptions, coverage, and how well the software behaves over time.
Vehicle-to-load brings a new kind of practicality, with a catch
The 2027 Highlander adds vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, a first for a Toyota sold in the U.S. In plain terms, it can export power for external devices or potentially serve as a backup power source in an emergency. Toyota notes that bi-directional accessories are required, which means buyers should expect extra equipment costs and setup decisions.
Toyota also builds in Charge Assist and ECO Charge features aimed at scheduling charging during lower-rate periods or when renewable energy may be available. Toyota has not shared full details yet, but it clearly wants Highlander EV owners to treat charging as part of household energy planning, not just a refueling substitute.
Infotainment and connected tech go bigger, faster, and more subscription-heavy
The 2027 Highlander uses Toyota’s latest Audio Multimedia system with 5G connectivity and a more app-like interface with customizable widgets. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, as does dual Bluetooth phone pairing.
Toyota adds SiriusXM with 360L and integrates Spotify streaming capability (subscriptions required). Navigation can now display turn-by-turn guidance in the full digital gauge cluster, which helps reduce reliance on the center screen when you just want the next turn, not the whole map.
Another notable standard feature: a built-in drive recorder that uses exterior cameras to capture 20-second clips for manual or triggered events. That is a subtle but meaningful convenience and it saves owners from buying and wiring an aftermarket dash cam, though storage management and clip retrieval ease will matter.
Connected Services trials include Drive Connect (with Intelligent Assistant, Cloud Navigation, 3D maps, and Destination Assist), plus Safety Connect and Service Connect. Remote Connect through the Toyota app supports remote charging actions like checking status and starting or stopping charging when plugged in, along with editing charging schedules. Again, the feature list reads modern, but the experience will depend on app stability and the long-term subscription picture, which many buyers have gotten tired of. It is what it is.
Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 and driver-assist features stack up
Every 2027 Toyota Highlander comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 4.0. The suite includes pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, lane tracing assist, road sign assist
-Ed
2027 Toyota Highlander
