Toyota is taking the family-hauling Grand Highlander in a slightly more adventurous direction for 2027 with the new Grand Highlander Hybrid Woodland Edition.
Because apparently the next frontier in off-road exploration is getting the kids to soccer practice without scraping the bumper.
The new Woodland Edition joins the 2027 Grand Highlander lineup with all-terrain tires, a small increase in ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, and a collection of equipment aimed at buyers who want their three-row crossover to look a little more outdoorsy. It also gets one particularly useful feature for family road trips: a removable second-row console that doubles as a cooler.
That may not sound as exciting as locking differentials and skid plates, but anyone who has traveled with children knows that a cold-drink storage solution can be a legitimate piece of expedition equipment.
A Woodland Grand Highlander
The 2027 Grand Highlander Hybrid Woodland Edition starts with the XLE Hybrid and adds the usual assortment of visual and functional upgrades that come with Toyota’s Woodland badge.
There are 18-inch matte-black alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, taller springs, and an additional 0.5 inch of ground clearance. The Woodland also gets black exterior badges and trim, black mirror caps, roof rails with crossbars, LED fog lamps, mudguards, and a tow hitch.
In other words, Toyota has given the Grand Highlander the visual vocabulary of an SUV that knows where the trailhead is.
Whether it actually wants to go there is another question.
The Woodland Edition is powered exclusively by Toyota’s 2.5-liter hybrid system, producing 245 total system horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard, and Toyota estimates 34 mpg combined.
That combination is probably more relevant to most buyers than a dramatic increase in off-road capability would be. The Grand Highlander is fundamentally a large family crossover, and the Woodland Edition doesn’t pretend otherwise.
There are no claims here of turning it into a 4Runner substitute. Instead, Toyota is adding a little more versatility without sacrificing the basic family-hauling mission.
Bring the Cooler
The Woodland Edition’s most entertaining feature might also be one of its most practical.
The second-row console is removable and incorporates a cooler capable of holding up to six 12-ounce cans. That’s six cans.
Not six cases. Not enough beverages to supply a Little League tournament. Six. Still, the idea makes sense. Remove the console when you need additional flexibility, or keep it installed when the family needs somewhere to stash cold drinks.
The Woodland also gets all-weather floor mats, a heated steering wheel, a 120-volt/1,500-watt AC outlet in the second row, and a Woodland-branded cargo tray with pop-up dividers.
Those details make the Woodland less about pretending to be a rock crawler and more about making weekend adventures slightly less annoying.
Three Powertrains, One Big Toyota
The Woodland is only part of the 2027 Grand Highlander story. Toyota continues to offer the SUV with three powertrain choices.
The standard gas model uses a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 265 horsepower. The conventional hybrid uses the 2.5-liter system with 245 total horsepower. At the top of the range sits the Hybrid MAX, which produces 362 horsepower.
The Hybrid MAX also brings a 5,000-pound towing capacity, while standard hybrid models are rated for 3,500 pounds. Gas-powered Grand Highlanders can also tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Fuel economy varies considerably depending on configuration. Toyota estimates as much as 36 mpg combined for the Hybrid XLE with front-wheel drive, while the Woodland’s all-wheel-drive hybrid configuration is rated at 34 mpg combined.
The gas models are estimated at 24 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 23 mpg with all-wheel drive.
So, as usual, Toyota has managed to make choosing a Grand Highlander’s powertrain considerably more complicated than simply asking whether you want a hybrid.
It’s Still a Grand Highlander
Perhaps more important than the Woodland equipment is what hasn’t changed.
The Grand Highlander remains one of Toyota’s larger family SUVs, with seating for up to eight and an adult-sized third row. Toyota lists 33.5 inches of third-row legroom and 37.2 inches of headroom.
That’s a meaningful distinction in a segment where “three-row” sometimes means “three rows, provided the people in the last row are either children or unusually tolerant adults.”
With all three rows occupied, Toyota says the Grand Highlander can still accommodate seven carry-on suitcases. Fold the rear seats flat and cargo capacity reaches 97.5 cubic feet.
The cabin also gets acoustic glass for the windshield and front side windows, noise-reduction materials, three-zone automatic climate control, and seven USB-C ports.
The standard infotainment system uses a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims can add an 11-speaker JBL audio system, while the Platinum gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard across the lineup, along with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and other driver-assistance features.
In other words, the Woodland isn’t some stripped-down adventure special. It’s still a well-equipped family crossover that happens to be wearing hiking boots.
What About the Rest of the Lineup?
The Woodland isn’t the only change for 2027.
The Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX Platinum gets a series of black exterior accents, including a black grille, hood trim, roof rails, window trim, mirror caps, and shark-fin antenna.
Gas-powered Platinum models get a new wheel design, while XLE gas and hybrid versions gain a heated steering wheel and 18-inch dark-gray wheels as standard equipment.
Toyota is also dropping the Hybrid Nightshade Edition and Hybrid MAX Limited from the 2027 lineup.
Pricing starts at $42,560 for the gas-powered Grand Highlander LE with front-wheel drive. Hybrid models start at $45,910 for the LE. Those prices exclude Toyota’s dealer processing and handling fee.
The 2027 models are expected to begin arriving at Toyota dealerships later this year.
A Little More Adventure, a Lot of Practicality
The 2027 Toyota Grand Highlander Woodland Edition isn’t trying to turn a three-row family crossover into a Jeep Wrangler. That’s probably a good thing.
Instead, Toyota has taken an already practical SUV and added all-terrain tires, a little more ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, a tow hitch, additional cargo organization, and some black trim to make it look the part.
The result is a Grand Highlander aimed at families who occasionally leave the pavement but don’t necessarily want to spend their weekends crawling over rocks.
And that may actually be the sweet spot.
Most owners don’t need a vehicle capable of conquering Moab. They need something that can survive a gravel road to the campground, haul everyone’s luggage, keep the drinks cold, tow a small trailer, and get 30-something mpg on the way home.
The Woodland Edition appears designed specifically for those people.
It’s not an off-road monster. It’s an SUV for people who want to look like they’re going somewhere interesting while retaining enough civilization to keep the children happy.
Which, depending on your definition of adventure, may be the most realistic off-road package Toyota could have built.
