The Toyota Highlander Hybrid was the first SUV in the Toyota lineup that got the hybrid treatment back in 2006. Now, nearly 20 years later, the 2025 Toyota Highlander is a popular choice in the midsize three-row SUV segment. It competes against the Ford Explorer Hybrid, the Mazda CX-90 plug-in hybrid, and the upcoming Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. For this model year, it is available in five trims: XLE, XLE Nightshade, Limited, Limited 25th Edition, and Platinum.
2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Highlander lineup is celebrating 25 years in 2025, and the hybrid is cashing in on the party with a 25th Edition model based on the Limited trim. Also new for the 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is standard all-wheel drive and a Heavy Metal exterior paint color. The Highlander Hybrid was all-new in 2020, and hasn’t had any major styling changes since its introduction.
Design
While a lot of Toyota design is getting edgy, the 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has a subtler design that blends in with the SUV crowd. It doesn’t have any significant hybrid cues or badging beyond the small “Beyond Zero HEV” badge on the back of the vehicle. While 18-inch wheels are standard, 20-inch wheels are included on Limited trims and higher. While there aren’t any specific appearance packages, the XLE Nightshade itself could be considered one big package option with black alloy wheels, black exterior accents, black grille, and black roof rails.
Powertrain
The 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is an AWD-only model and comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motor-generators, both of which charge the hybrid battery, while the second also helps with the power delivery. Net combined output is 243 horsepower and the EPA estimates combined fuel economy of 35 mpg. Though the gas model can tow up to 5,000 pounds, the hybrid has a max towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.
Interior
Starting with the XLE trim, the 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has a more upmarket interior on the base level, with leatherette seating surfaces, heated front seats, and a power tilt/slide moonroof with a sunshade. The XLE is the only trim that comes with a bench seat as no-cost option, so it can seat up to eight. Otherwise, the Highlander Hybrid seats seven, with captains chairs in the middle and three seats in the third row. Since the battery is situated beneath the seats, you don’t lose any cargo capacity from the gas model to the hybrid, and you have 16 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the third-row seats. Max cargo capacity behind the first row is 84.3 cubic feet.
Technology
The 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid comes standard with an eight-inch infotainment screen that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Various connected services, such as Remote Connect, Wi-Fi Connect and Drive Connect, are available for subscription fees after a trial period, and do things like remote start your vehicle from the app, include integrated music streaming or provide Google points of interest on the native navigation system. Standard tech features include wireless phone charging and a seven-inch multi-information display behind the wheel as well as LED headlights, taillights, and fog lights. Available features include a 12.3 inch digital gauge cluster, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a height adjustable hands-free power liftgate, and an 11-speaker JBL premium audio system.
Safety
As a brand that prides itself on safety, Toyota equips the 2025 Highlander Hybrid with plenty of standard safety tech, including blind spot monitoring, lane departure alert, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane trace assist, and full-speed adaptive cruise control. Available safety features include a back-up camera with 360-degree views, front and rear parking assist, and rear automatic braking. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety doesn’t crash test the hybrid model separately, but the Highlander was a 2024 Top Safety Pick. However, it missed the mark for 2025, because it only got a marginal rating in the updated moderat front overlap crash test. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Highlander Hybrid an overall five-Star safety rating.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid went on sale at the end of 2024. At the time of writing, Toyota listed the base price for the Highlander Hybrid XLE at $47,815. Though the Highlander Hybrid doesn’t have many options on any trim, it does offer a plentiful selection of accessories for storage, lighting, towing, camping, and pets. There are also a few premium paint options for an additional $475. Each trim adds about $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the step up in content, and the top-tier Hybrid Platinum trim tops out at $55,470.
