Toyota delayed the start of production of the 2027 Highlander by up to eight weeks so final adjustments can be made before launch. The electric Highlander is still expected to arrive no later than the start of 2027, but the rollout now shifts by roughly two months.
“There will be a delay in the start of production of the 2027 Highlander to allow timing for final adjustments prior to launch,” a Toyota representative said. Toyota also said pricing would likely come in the fall, with deliveries probably following close behind the pricing announcement.
Kentucky plant schedule
The Highlander will be built at the Kentucky plant, where Toyota added RAV4 production this year. That leaves the launch schedule tied to a factory already taking on another model, which is the clearest reason the delay matters beyond the Highlander itself. A reader waiting for the new SUV now has a narrower window: pricing in the fall, then deliveries soon after.
For buyers comparing Toyota's electric plans, the timing sits beside other new EV work, including the redesigned bZ, the C-HR, and the bZ Woodland. Toyota has also said the combustion Highlander sold more than 30,000 units this year, compared with about 17,000 for the updated Toyota bZ and a little more than 7,000 for the Kia EV9. Toyota Invests $3.6 Billion, Expands Toyota Tacoma Production
Subaru Getaway and Lexus TZ
The same Kentucky plant is also set to build the Subaru Getaway, raising the possibility that its timing could move with the Highlander line. Toyota said the Lexus TZ, another twin of the Highlander due this year, is being built in Japan, and the company said it had no information to share about that model at the moment. Sweden trains amid Toyota Stadium demolition
The practical takeaway is simple: Toyota has pushed the start of Highlander production back, but it has not moved the fall pricing target or the expectation that deliveries will follow soon after. The open question is whether the shared Kentucky schedule will force the Subaru Getaway onto the same slower path.
