2027 Toyota Highlander vs. 2026 Kia EV9: Three-Row Family EVs Compared

Range and power

The EV9’s battery and motor setups come in a few flavors. The base EV9 is the Light RWD, which uses a 76.1-kWh battery pack, makes 215 horsepower & 258 lb-ft of torque from one rear-mounted e-motor, and has just 230 miles of range — this is the true budget pick of the range. One step up from that is the Light Long Range RWD which uses the same motor, but has a larger 99.8-kWh battery pack and 305 miles of EPA-estimated range. 

If you want an all-wheel drive EV9, you’ll have to step up to at least the Wind trim (or the slightly pricier Land model). Power for both now comes from two electric motors (one front mounted, one rear), power figures rise to 379 hp & 443 lb-ft, and EPA-estimated range is 283 miles. The big kahuna of the range is the GT-Line, where power stays the same but torque rises to 516 lb-ft, but range dips slightly to 280 miles. AWD models also get a heat pump, but rear-wheel-drive ones do not. 

The new Highlander will come in two trims with multiple drivetrain variations at launch, and though there’s always a chance Toyota launches more in the future, here’s what buyers will be working with initially. The base Highlander will be the XLE with front-wheel drive thanks to one electric motor at the front and the smaller of two battery packs (77.0 kWh). Power is rated at 198 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, and range is a Toyota-estimated 287 miles.