We Think We Know What Toyota Just Teased, And It Could Carry A Familiar Name

Toyota’s cryptic “Something new is on the horizon” teaser teaser finally has a shape, and it’s a big one. While the Japanese automaker is still keeping official details under lockdown, we think we finally figured it out. All evidence now points toward the already-confirmed three-row SUV slated for production in Kentucky later this year.

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Years ago, Toyota made it clear that a new wave of 15 vehicles was coming. They were all electric at the time. In 2023, the company confirmed that a large three-row electric SUV was part of that plan.

Based on the bZ Large SUV concept from 2021, the brand called it the bZ5x and said that it would go into production in the U.S. We’re pretty certain that it’s what Toyota just showed us earlier today.

Toyota bZ Large Concept patents

Take a gander at these patent photos we unearthed of the concept, and in particular, the rear end that was missing from the photos of the actual concept that Toyota released back in 2021. Now, look at the teaser that the company revealed today.

Future Cars: What To Expect From The New Toyota bZ5x Three-Row Electric SUV

The body lines, the rear light bar, and the general proportions all seem to match. Toyota hasn’t confirmed a nameplate, and that’s where things get interesting. The company has been steadily walking back its heavy reliance on the “bZ” branding, while also signaling a broader reset of its EV strategy.

Toyota bZ Large Concept

Toyota has already confirmed plans for a U.S.-built three-row electric SUV, set for production in Kentucky with batteries sourced from its North Carolina facility.

Industry watchers have widely referred to it as the bZ5X, though Toyota itself hasn’t officially locked in that name. We expect that to change very soon, and if it ends up being the new Highlander, we won’t be shocked one bit.

Bringing a well-known nameplate like Highlander, possibly with a twist, such as bZ Highlander, to an electric platform could be a smart play. It’s a name customers already trust, and as Ford showed with the Mustang Mach-E, familiar branding can go a long way when launching a new EV.

Read: Nearly Half Of Toyota And Lexus Buyers Went Electrified, As Tacoma Has Its Best Year Ever

Toyota already has the Grand Highlander so making the original version electric could be a clever move to keep the two alive with their own distinct personalities, especially since the longer, gas-powered Grand Highlander is clearly outperforming its sibling.

Last year, sales of the standard Highlander fell more than 37 percent to 56,208 units, while the Grand Highlander shot up nearly 91 percent to 136,801.

Of course, it could end up getting called the bZ5x or Grand Crown or bZ Highlander GR Sport at this point. We’ll probably find out next month in California and we expect the vehicle to head to production during the first half of 2026.