- Toyota’s new teaser confirms a three-row layout.
- We might have seen the vehicle already as a concept.
- Expect an electric SUV about the size of the Highlander.
When Toyota teased “something new” last week, some assumed it was a pickup truck. However, the latest official preview confirms it’s a large SUV with three-row seating and a massive glass roof. The boxy family hauler features captain’s chairs in the second row, where passengers benefit from their own climate controls.
We adjusted the teaser image’s brightness to reveal more details, as the third row wasn’t immediately noticeable in the untouched photo. Toyota appears to be showcasing a six-seat interior with decent legroom for rearmost occupants, who can also charge their devices via USB ports mounted at the base of the C-pillars.
Although the vehicle’s name remains a mystery, it’s likely a production version of the bZ Large concept shown in 2021. Patent images later surfaced online, leaving little to the imagination. The rear light bar teased by Toyota in late January closely matches the concept’s design.
Expect the production model to feature traditional side mirrors and larger door handles. It could be an electric SUV roughly the size of the Highlander when it goes on sale, possibly later this year, likely as a 2027 model year. A Subaru counterpart is also in the pipeline, continuing the brand’s EV collaboration seen with the bZ/Solterra and bZ Woodland/Trailseeker twin pairings.
It’s also worth remembering that in February 2024, Toyota announced plans to invest $1.3 billion in its Georgetown, Kentucky plant to build a three-row electric SUV. Fast-forward two years, and this teaser is likely our first real look at that vehicle. It’s still too early to say whether it will be EV-only or arrive alongside a next-generation Highlander powered by combustion engines. Either way, the Grand Highlander should remain on sale, given how recently it debuted.
Whether it ends up being called the bZ Highlander or something entirely new remains to be seen, but a familiar name would make sense. We’ll find out for sure on February 10.
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Source: Toyota
Motor1’s Take: EV demand may be cooling in the United States, but Toyota’s electric push continues. The newcomer is shaping up to be a credible rival to the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, targeting large families ready to move on from internal combustion.
That said, if this somehow isn’t a production-ready bZ Large, what else could it be? One alternative is the Land Cruiser Se concept unveiled in 2023. However, that electric off-roader featured slightly different taillights, making the older bZ Large concept the far more likely candidate.
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