Toyota teases new SUV

Toyota has released a cryptic teaser image of a new family SUV that appears to point squarely at the next-generation Kluger – which is called the Highlander overseas – and speculation is rife the long-running large SUV could finally be heading toward an all-electric future.

The teaser itself is classic Toyota teasing: a blacked-out rear silhouette, squared-off proportions, bulging guards and slim LED light bars stretching across the tailgate.

All of it paired with the vague tagline ‘Something new is on the horizon’.

While Toyota has not officially confirmed what the vehicle is, the list of candidates is short.

The RAV4, LandCruiser 300 and Prado, Corolla Cross and bZ models are all either new, about to be renewed or recently updated.

That leaves the Kluger, which has been on sale in Australia since 2003.

The current generation was introduced globally in 2020 so the need for change is becoming urgent, particularly given the current Kluger’s design and features have been eclipsed by most other competitors on the market.

Kluger sales slumped by almost 18 per cent in Australia in 2025, and the large seven-seat SUV has been comprehensively outpaced by rivals.

The Subaru Outback and Kia Sorento both finished ahead, while the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado outsold the Kluger by more than three to one.

That performance is particularly awkward given Toyota’s own showroom pressure, with the larger Prado increasingly cannibalising Kluger sales.

Electrification is where this mysterious new family SUV really raises eyebrows. There’s a chance this is not the new Kluger – or it could be an EV version of the three-row SUV.

Toyota has been conspicuously absent from the electric seven-seat SUV segment and if this is not the next-gen Kluger, it could be an all-electric SUV to rival the $100K Kia EV9.

The brand previewed its electric LandCruiser Se concept in 2023 and is clearly agitating to make a move into the segment.

Whether Toyota chooses to electrify the Kluger nameplate or introduce an all-new badge remains unclear, but the scale of the tease suggests something more substantial than a routine mid-cycle facelift.

Toyota has not confirmed a reveal date, specifications or powertrain details, but the message is clear: something important is coming.

That and the fact the world’s largest car-maker needs a new Kluger, and it needs it fast.

With sales sliding, internal competition intensifying and electric rivals gaining momentum, this teased SUV could mark a turning point for Toyota’s large family SUV strategy.

A full reveal is expected soon.

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