Toyota to challenge Kia EV9 with electric seven-seat SUV
Toyota has announced that it will unveil an all-electric, seven-seat SUV on February 10, to challenge the likes of the Kia EV9 and the Volvo EX90.
The as-yet unnamed car will go on sale in the US as an electric alternative to the Grand Highlander, which is only available with a petrol or hybrid powertrain. However, Toyota has no plans to bring its soon-to-arrive EV model to Europe, where demand for seven-seaters is significantly less.
In a set of teaser images, the car’s interior shows a two-spoke steering wheel, a digital driver’s display, and a large floating infotainment system in the centre of the dashboard, not dissimilar to the layout found on the recently launched C-HR+ and the upcoming bZ4X Touring.
Aligning with the latest automotive design trend of manufacturers reintroducing physical buttons to car interiors, a row of buttons sits under the central display.
The vehicle in the teaser shots shows seating for seven, including two captain’s chairs in the middle row and a hint of another row behind.
Except for the C-HR+ style double-stacked lightbar and a wide, blocky rear end, the teaser shots provide very few clues towards the Toyota seven-seat electric SUV’s design. Using its latest design language as a reference point, we expect the car to adopt the brand’s new front-end arrangement featuring the ‘hammerhead’ nose, slim headlights, and uncluttered front bumper.
It has also been suggested that the US-only SUV will ride on Toyota’s electric-only TNGA-e platform, which underpins the bZ4X, C-HR+, and the bZ4X Touring. If this is the case, this would make it the biggest car Toyota has ever built using its dedicated EV platform, as it is expected to measure more than five metres long, given its passenger capacity.
Unlike in Europe, where Toyota has seven all-electric models on sale, Toyota US has just one – the bZ. Nonetheless, it will be the fifth seven-seater in its North American range upon arrival.
