The 2026 Toyota Highlander heads into Car Pro dealerships this fall. The big news for the new model year is that Toyota is axing Forward Wheel drive from the lineup. All SUV variants will now feature standard All Wheel Drive. Toyota is also saying goodbye to the gas-only LE base model, along with the Nightshade and 25th Anniversary Special Editions.
The three-row SUV seats up to seven with second-row captain's chairs, but beware - the third row is for kids only. (If you need a third row for adults, you'll want the Grand Highlander.) The XLE and Limited grades offer an optional bench seat set up that will seat eight. With the second and third row down you'll get up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity.
The lineup offers optional features like available leather-trimmed seating, ambient lighting and a panoramic moonroof. An 8.0-inch multimedia screen is standard with a 12.3-inch available and the lineup features standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+.
Gas-Only
The gas-online lineup is available in XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum grades, now all with standard All Wheel Drive. The 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine delivers 265-horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The XSE, Limited, and Platinum grades add Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD. All Highlander gas powered models can tow up to 5,000-pounds and have a manufacturer-estimated 24 MPG combined fuel economy rating.
Hybrid
The 2026 Highlander Hybrid comes in three grades - XLE, Limited, and Platinum grades and are equipped with Toyota’s Electronic On-Demand AWD system. The hybrid powertrain delivers 243 combined horsepower and a Toyota-estimated 35 combined MPG rating, and a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds for all hybrid grades.
Availability and Pricing
The 2026 Highlander will roll out in November. The lineup will start from $45,270 for the gas XLE grade and $47,020 for hybrid XLE grade, excluding destination and handling fees.
Check out our past reviews of the Highlander here.