Autobayng News Team
- Toyota will introduce a three-row SUV on Feb. 10.
- It could possibly be its long-awaited electric SUV to rival the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Cadillac Vistiq.
- It could feature Toyota’s next-generation Arene software-defined vehicle (SDV) platform.
Toyota might be on track to have its biggest year so far for its electrification efforts. The automaker’s electric vehicle lineup already includes three new or refreshed models, including the updated bZ, the new C-HR and the bZ Woodland. There’s now another new vehicle in the pipeline and we finally have a better idea of what that could be, starting with its interior.
Toyota teased the SUV’s rear exterior design last week, revealing a boxy silhouette and a full-width LED light bar. The automaker teased its interior and how the vehicle would sound on Monday, making it clear that it is aiming for a high-tech, modern three-row SUV, possibly electric. The automaker said “big energy” in the press release, which makes the powertrain sort of ambiguous. Photo by: Toyota
The cabin is a significant step up from the bZ, which mixes large screens with physical buttons and plenty of hard plastics. By contrast, this three-row SUV looks far more premium, with Volvo-esque minimalism and Tesla-style digital real estate. A massive center touchscreen dominates the dashboard, complemented by a digital gauge cluster, ambient lighting, captain’s chairs and a panoramic sunroof.
Toyota hasn’t disclosed the name or positioning of the SUV, but there are plenty of clues. The automaker teased a bZ Large SUV at its Beyond Zero event in Japan back in 2021. In 2023, it showed off the Land Cruiser Se concept, the battery-powered version of the iconic off-roader. And there have been several reports of an electric Highlander in the pipeline. Photo by: Toyota
Toyota has also said that it was developing a family-focused electric SUV for the U.S. market, to be built at its Kentucky plant. Design changes reportedly pushed the launch to this year. Given all of that, something like a bZ Highlander seems like the most logical outcome here, but we won’t know for sure until Feb. 10, when Toyota is set to fully unveil the model.
Beyond its technical specifications, its software will be worth keeping an eye on. After years of being labeled a laggard in the EV space, Toyota has been working to accelerate its electrification and software efforts. We see that shift with the new RAV4, which debuts Toyota’s Arene software-defined vehicle platform. That system brings highly customizable, smartphone-like screens and more conversational voice commands. Gallery: Toyota bZ electric SUV patent images
This upcoming SUV may have something similar to the new RAV4, or potentially go further with a fully centralized electrical architecture and true SDV underpinnings.
That said, the timing of all this is critical. EV sales are hitting a reset after the end of the federal tax credits. If Toyota’s three-row SUV is electric, it will enter a rapidly intensifying segment, with competitors like the Cadillac Vistiq, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S. It’s a crowded field and Toyota is arriving later than most.
Still, Toyota may have an advantage here that its rivals don’t. Surveys have shown that Americans believe Toyota and Honda make the best EVs—even though that perception is not grounded in reality. But the automaker now has an opportunity to show that it can make a properly high-tech EV and maybe even bring back some momentum to the broader EV market in what could be a year of uneven sales.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com Related Stories We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
