Toyota's Mystery New Model Is A Three-Row SUV: First Look Inside

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.