Toyota Grand Highlander Woodland Gets All-Terrain Tires, Keeps Its 34-MPG Hybrid
Toyota's new trail-themed trim adds a half-inch lift, a removable cooler, and AWD as standard, while the Nightshade and Hybrid MAX Limited leave the 2027 lineup.
Toyota is giving its biggest crossover a trail-flavored trim. The 2027 Grand Highlander Woodland Edition pairs the 245-hp hybrid and standard all-wheel drive with all-terrain tires and a half-inch lift, moving Toyota into the rugged-looking corner where Honda already sells its lifted Passport TrailSport.
Toyota credits the extra clearance over other Grand Highlanders to the new tires plus taller springs, but it hasn't quoted a total ground-clearance figure. The wheels are 18-inch alloys painted matte black. The name is already familiar from the electric bZ Woodland.
Most of the package is practical gear rather than hardware. Built on the XLE, the Woodland adds a removable second-row console that doubles as a cooler for six 12-ounce cans, a cargo tray with pop-up dividers, extra cargo-area lighting, all-weather mats, roof crossbars, LED fog lamps, mud guards, and a tow hitch. A 120-volt, 1,500-watt outlet is standard.
Seating is fixed at seven, with second-row captain's chairs, and black leather is the only upholstery. Badges, mirror caps, roof rails, the antenna, and the trim around the headlights and windows are all black. The driver gets the XLE-style cluster, analog gauges plus a 7-inch screen, not the Limited's 12.3-inch digital display.
Same hybrid, different job
Under the skin, nothing changes. Toyota estimates the 2.5-liter hybrid at 34 mpg combined, identical to the Hybrid LE, XLE, and Limited with AWD, and rates it to tow 3,500 pounds. Buyers who need 5,000 pounds still have to choose the 265-hp turbocharged gas engine or the 362-hp Hybrid MAX.
Fuel economy is the Woodland's best argument against tougher-looking rivals. The 2027 Passport TrailSport, a two-row model starting at $49,995, is rated at 20 mpg combined. Kia's new Telluride Hybrid offers more power, 329 hp from a turbocharged 2.5-liter, and up to 35 mpg for $46,490 plus a $1,545 destination charge, according to Kia's pricing announcement. Telluride sales jumped 42 percent in September as that hybrid reached dealers.
Two grades leave
The Woodland arrives as Toyota cuts the Hybrid Nightshade Edition and the Hybrid MAX Limited. That makes the 362-hp Hybrid MAX a Platinum-only choice. For 2026, the MAX Limited listed at $56,090, about $4,100 less than the MAX Platinum's $60,175, according to Toyota's own price list.
The surviving MAX Platinum swaps its gunmetal grille mesh, chrome hood and window trim, silver roof rails, and body-color mirror caps and antenna for black. The gas Platinum gets new wheels, while the XLE adds a standard heated steering wheel and dark gray 18-inch wheels.
Prices and timing
Entry prices rise $300. The gas LE with front-wheel drive starts at $42,560 and the Hybrid LE at $45,910, both before Toyota's dealer processing and handling fee; the same grades listed at $42,260 and $45,610 for 2026. Toyota left the Woodland's price out of the announcement itself.
Production stays in Princeton, Indiana, and 2027 models are due at dealers before the end of the year. The Grand Highlander is also about to become the only Highlander with an engine: the next Highlander, which Toyota lists as a 2028 model, is battery-electric only.
