The 2027 model year is shaping up to be one of the most transformative in recent memory. Rather than the usual round of styling tweaks and trim shuffles, automakers are using this cycle to introduce genuinely new generations, brand-new platforms, and in several cases, complete powertrain philosophy shifts. Long-running gas engines are being swapped for hybrids and EVs, flagship nameplates are entering entirely new segments, and at least one legendary badge is being reborn as a pure electric.
Here’s a full breakdown of what’s arriving for 2027, and why each redesign matters.
SUVs & Crossovers
Toyota Highlander: From Family Hauler to Full EV
The biggest surprise of the 2027 cycle might be the Highlander. Toyota has fully redesigned its three-row midsize SUV for its fifth generation, and in the process dropped gas and hybrid powertrains entirely, turning it into an all-electric model. This makes the Highlander Toyota’s first three-row battery-electric vehicle in the U.S. and the first Toyota EV assembled domestically, built at the automaker’s Kentucky plant with battery modules sourced from its new North Carolina facility.
The new Highlander grows larger than its predecessor, positioning it close in size to rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9. It arrives in two grades, XLE and Limited, with a choice of a 77-kWh battery (up to 287 miles of range in front-wheel drive) or a larger 95.8-kWh pack good for up to 320 miles. A single-motor FWD configuration makes 221 horsepower, while the dual-motor AWD version produces 338 combined horsepower. Notably, the gas-and-hybrid Highlander nameplate doesn’t disappear from Toyota’s lineup entirely — the larger Grand Highlander continues on with traditional powertrains, giving shoppers who aren’t ready for an EV a familiar alternative.
Kia Telluride: Bigger, Bolder, and Finally Hybrid
Kia actually skipped the 2026 model year for the Telluride entirely, choosing to hold out for a complete second-generation redesign rather than release an interim refresh. The wait brought a longer wheelbase, a boxier and more upright silhouette that some have compared to a Range Rover, and — for the first time in the nameplate’s history — an available hybrid powertrain.
The new Telluride is standard with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with a turbo-hybrid variant available that produces up to 329 horsepower and an EPA-estimated 35 mpg combined on front-wheel-drive trims — a substantial jump over the outgoing V6’s efficiency. Pricing for the gas-only lineup starts around $39,190, while the Hybrid starts closer to $46,490. Ten trim levels are offered in total, including off-road-focused X-Pro variants that remain turbo-four-only.
Volkswagen Atlas: New Platform, Most Power Yet
The Atlas moves into its second generation for 2027, riding on an updated platform while retaining its familiar three-row, boxy proportions. Volkswagen gave the SUV all-new sheet metal, updated LED lighting front and rear, and a significantly more upscale cabin featuring real wood trim, 10-color ambient lighting, and available Nappa leather.
Under the hood, an updated 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (the EA888 evo5) now makes 282 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque — the most powerful Atlas engine ever offered — paired with an eight-speed automatic and available 4Motion all-wheel drive. Pricing starts at $41,610 for the base SE trim. VW has also teased a possible hybrid variant down the road, though that isn’t expected until later in this generation’s life cycle.
Nissan Rogue: e-POWER Finally Comes to America
Nissan’s best-selling U.S. model enters its fourth generation with a design overhaul and, more importantly, the North American debut of e-POWER — Nissan’s series hybrid system, now in its third generation. Unlike a conventional hybrid, e-POWER’s gas engine (a new turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder) never drives the wheels directly; it acts purely as a generator, charging a battery that powers dual electric motors for EV-like acceleration and smoothness without ever needing to be plugged in.
The redesigned Rogue also gets sharper, more technical styling, including a hexagonal-patterned grille and DRLs that extend into the grille area, along with an updated PHEV variant carrying over as an option. Deliveries begin in late 2026, with initial hybrid supply arriving from Japan before Nissan localizes production at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant.
Kia Seltos: Room to Grow
The subcompact Seltos is redesigned for its second generation on a larger footprint, giving it more interior space and updated technology to better compete in the crowded small-crossover class. Kia is expected to offer a hybrid powertrain option for the first time on this generation, following the strategy it’s used successfully on the Telluride and other recent redesigns.
BMW iX3: The First Neue Klasse Production Model
BMW’s Neue Klasse era officially begins with the iX3, a compact electric SUV built on an entirely new dedicated EV platform rather than a shared architecture with the gas-powered X3. It launches in a single iX3 50 xDrive configuration, with dual motors, all-wheel drive, and an 800-volt electrical architecture that supports up to 400 kW of DC fast charging.
Battery capacity checks in at 112.3 kWh net usable, delivering an EPA-estimated range of up to 434 miles — among the longest of any electric SUV on sale. BMW says the architecture can add roughly 185 miles of range in just 10 minutes at a compatible fast charger. Inside, the iX3 introduces BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system and “Heart of Joy” central vehicle computer, both of which will spread across the brand’s future EV lineup. Pricing starts at $61,500 before destination, with U.S. deliveries beginning in late September 2026.
Audi Q9: Audi’s First True Full-Size SUV
For the first time in its history, Audi is fielding a genuine full-size, three-row luxury SUV. The Q9 slots in above the Q7 and is aimed squarely at the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS, Cadillac Escalade, and Range Rover. It shares design language with the recently redesigned Q7 but is scaled up considerably, with Audi’s own comparisons showing it beats the X7 on third-row legroom and cargo space behind the third row.
The standard Q9 uses a 429-horsepower twin-turbo V6, while the performance-oriented SQ9 steps up to a 591-horsepower twin-turbo V8 capable of a 3.8-second 0-60 mph run. Pricing starts at $87,700 for the Q9 and $118,000 for the SQ9, with U.S. deliveries slated for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Trucks & Vans
Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Complete Overhaul, New V8s
Chevrolet’s full-size Silverado 1500 receives a ground-up redesign for 2027 — not a refresh, according to GM. The exterior gets a bolder, more aggressive front end with larger U-shaped LED lighting, a more pronounced grille, and revised bumpers, while the cabin is built around big screens: a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a 16.3-inch central touchscreen, and an available 11.5-inch front passenger display.
Two brand-new next-generation small-block V8s headline the powertrain lineup — a 5.7-liter and a 6.6-liter — alongside a carryover enhanced 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel inline-six, all paired exclusively with a 10-speed automatic. The lineup is simplified into seven trims, ranging from the base Work Truck up through off-road-focused Trail Boss and ZR2 variants (with a factory 2-inch lift and 34- to 35-inch tires) to the range-topping High Country. The redesigned Silverado goes on sale by the end of 2026, with pricing to follow later in the year.
Cars & EVs
Chevrolet Bolt: Back From the Dead, Now on Ultium
After disappearing from Chevrolet’s lineup following the 2023 model year, the Bolt returns for 2027 as an EUV-only crossover, now built on GM’s modern Ultium platform instead of its original LG-sourced architecture. The new Bolt uses a 65-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery paired with a single front-mounted motor producing 210 horsepower, and Chevrolet says it can charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 26 minutes — roughly three times faster than the outgoing model’s charging speed.
Range grows modestly to around 255 miles, and the Bolt gains a redesigned interior with a new 11.3-inch touchscreen, more than 20 standard driver-assistance features, and a built-in NACS port for Tesla Supercharger access without an adapter. Chevrolet has described this Ultium-based Bolt as a “limited run” model, with production reportedly slated to wrap up by summer 2027.
BMW 3 Series & i3 / iM3: A Legendary Sedan Splits in Two
The 3 Series enters a new generation for 2027, but for the first time, it will be sold alongside a fully electric sibling rather than an electrified variant of the same car. The new i3 — reviving a nameplate BMW previously used for its pioneering 2010s EV hatchback — is a bespoke electric sedan built on the Neue Klasse platform, sharing its underpinnings with the iX3 rather than the combustion-powered 3 Series.
Preliminary figures point to up to 463 horsepower and an estimated range of up to 440 miles, aided by the same 800-volt architecture and fast-charging capability found in the iX3. The interior introduces BMW’s new Panoramic Vision display, which projects driving information across the base of the windshield in place of a traditional gauge cluster. A high-performance quad-motor variant, referred to in early reporting as the iM3, is expected to sit atop the electric lineup, while the standard combustion 3 Series is expected to continue in parallel for buyers not ready to go electric.
Jaguar Type 00 / Type 01: The Brand’s All-Electric Relaunch
Jaguar’s radical Type 00 concept — first shown at Miami Art Week in December 2024 — is heading to production, though buyers should know the production version has since been officially named the Type 01, not Type 00. It marks the start of Jaguar’s complete relaunch as an EV-only, ultra-premium marque positioned between mainstream luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz and top-tier names like Bentley and Aston Martin.
The Type 01 is a four-door electric GT built on Jaguar’s dedicated Electrified Architecture (JEA), featuring a tri-motor all-wheel-drive setup producing more than 986 horsepower and roughly 959 lb-ft of torque, an 800-volt electrical system supporting up to 350 kW charging, and an estimated EPA range of around 430 miles. Jaguar is targeting a 0-60 mph time of roughly three seconds. Pricing is expected to start somewhere in the $150,000-$160,000 range, with global reveal events held throughout 2026 and first deliveries expected in the first half of 2027.
Why 2027 Is Such a Pivotal Model Year
Taken together, these redesigns tell a consistent story: automakers are using complete generational overhauls — rather than incremental updates — to make bigger strategic bets. Toyota is willing to make its best-selling three-row SUV electric-only rather than offer a hybrid Highlander alongside an EV. BMW is launching an entire new vehicle architecture from scratch instead of retrofitting EV powertrains into existing platforms. Jaguar is abandoning its historic lineup altogether in favor of a single, ultra-premium electric GT. Even traditionally conservative players like Volkswagen and Chevrolet are using the moment to push more power, more standard technology, and in the Silverado’s case, entirely new engines into showrooms.
For shoppers, that means 2027 will bring some of the most consequential new-vehicle decisions in years — whether that’s embracing an electric-only Highlander, weighing a hybrid Telluride against the class-leading efficiency numbers Kia is touting, or simply deciding whether a reborn Pajero-style value play beats sticking with an established nameplate. Expect pricing, additional trims, and full specifications to continue rolling in through the back half of 2026 as launch dates approach.
Pricing and specifications reflect manufacturer announcements as of publication and are subject to change before final on-sale dates.
