Toyota Highlander EV teased in US…

AGAINST the flow, Toyota USA has unveiled a fully electric, new generation Highlander large wagon (sold here as Kluger) the electron-powered three-row, six- or seven-seater due stateside in late 2026.

It replaces popular ICE and hybrid vehicles in the current line-up and marks a step-change for Toyota USA on one of its more popular vehicles.

Toyota’s decision to go EV-only with Highlander doesn’t seem to have been swayed by the rivers of red ink that are flooding head office halls at some US auto manufacturers associated with over-commitment to EVs and poor EV sales.

Toyota USA offers many choices in its SUV line-up (more than in Australia) that may have influenced its decision to go EV-only with Highlander.

It and Grand Highlander have been popular in the US accounting for some 3.6 million sales all told since the model kicked off four generations ago in 2001 with sales of late segueing more towards to the Grand Highlander hybrid variant rather than the smaller model.

Based on Toyota’s measured, multi-pathway approach to “new energy” powertrains, the move to a BEV-only Highlander might be a master stroke or it may fall flat as has been the case with some other BEV-ified US models from various brands.

Time will no doubt tell…

Will we see a Kluger BEV in Australia replacing the 2.5-litre petrol hybrid particularly as our RHD variants come out of the same Kentucky, US plant as the new BEV?

The answer is apparently no, according to a Toyota Australia spokesperson who prevaricated, “we have no current plans to introduce the Kluger EV in Australia. The Kluger Hybrid remains part of Toyota’s Australian line-up”.

The local arm of the Big T no doubt mindful of the luke-warm sales of its bZ4X BEV balanced against the end of the Fortuner seven-seat large SUV and the importance of the ICE-powered hybrid RAV4, LandCruiser Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series to its bottom line.

Digging a little deeper into the new Highlander EV’s specs we find the model features the same powertrains as Toyota’s bZ4X and is on a revised version of the existing Kluger’s TNGA-K platform in front- and all-wheel drive running single- or dual motors and batteries with different capacities.

It means outputs are circa 165kW/269Nm for FWD version and 252kW/438Nm for AWD versions.

The 77kWh lithium-ion battery used across all standard range variants gives a claimed 462km for FWD models dropping to a claimed 434km in the AWDs. A larger 95.8kWh battery will be available exclusively with long range AWD variants providing 515km claimed range.

Onboard recharging is via an 11kW appliance and a standard NACS port, Toyota saying a 10-80 per cent battery top-up via a DC charger takes as little as 30 minutes.

In terms of appearance, the new Highlander EV’s styling has been described as a handsome, sharper, and chunkier than before, set off with alloy wheels ranging from 19 to 22 inches in diametre, two-tone paint choices, and the requisite LED light array.

Dimensionally it’s 5050mm long, 1989mm wide, 1709mm high, and riding on a 3050mm wheelbase, the stats making it 84mm longer, 59mm wider, 46mm lower and a significant 200mm longer in the wheelbase compared with the current Aussie-spec’ Kluger.

It has a quoted 450 litres of space behind the third row when erected and 1292 litres with the rear seats folded.

The cabin has 18 (!) cup holders, second-row storage bins and holders designed for phones and tablets, and 64-colour ambient lighting.

Standard upholstery on the US preview models was Toyota ‘SofTex’ synthetic leather with the dash featuring old school physical buttons for air-conditioning and audio functions, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and optional head-up display.

As is the norm these days, a large 14.0-inch centre touchscreen dominates this time including a built-in dash cam capable of recording 20-second clips. Other safety equipment includes rear cross-traffic alert and Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), which can steer and brake the vehicle.

Catering for a more exclusive clientele, six-seat Highlander features a pair of captain’s chairs in the second (middle) row.

The model will provide a vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability enabling the car to power appliances or (partially) replenish a home battery.