Best New Cars Coming in 2027: 8 Models Worth the Wait

The most anticipated 2027 cars are a mix of ground-up redesigns and first-of-their-kind electrics: the all-electric Toyota Highlander, a second-generation Kia Telluride Hybrid, the Neue Klasse BMW 3 Series, a fully electric Porsche Cayenne, the affordable Rivian R2, an all-new Toyota Corolla, an electrified Lexus ES, and a boxier Hyundai Tucson. Most go on sale in late 2026 and carry 2027 badges, and the strongest pull buyers in are the electrics and the redesigned three-row SUVs. Here is what is confirmed, what is reported, and what is still a guess.

What makes the 2027 class worth waiting for

Two themes define the 2027 model year. First, electrification finally reaches the mainstream three-row SUV and the entry-luxury sedan, segments that resisted it for years. Second, several core nameplates get their first true clean-sheet redesign in a generation rather than a mid-cycle refresh. That combination means the 2027s are not just newer trim packages; in many cases they ride on new platforms with new powertrains.

• All-new or next-generation: Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, BMW 3 Series, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Tucson, Lexus ES
• First fully electric version of an established model: Porsche Cayenne Electric, Toyota Highlander EV
• Most affordable in its class: Rivian R2, targeting roughly $45,000 for the base trim
• On-sale timing: most arrive late 2026 into early 2027 as 2027 model-year vehicles

Toyota Highlander EV: Toyota's first three-row electric SUV

The 2027 Highlander is the headline mainstream launch. Toyota is reinventing its best-selling three-row SUV as a battery-electric vehicle, and it will be the brand's first three-row BEV for the U.S. and its first BEV assembled in America, built in Georgetown, Kentucky, with battery packs sourced from Toyota's new plant in Liberty, North Carolina. The base single-motor front-drive setup makes a reported 221 horsepower, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is rated around 338 horsepower. Toyota offers two batteries: a 77.0-kWh pack good for up to roughly 287 miles (FWD), and a 95.8-kWh pack pushing range toward 320 miles. Two grades launch, XLE and Limited; the SUV seats six on standard second-row captain's chairs, with a seven-seat bench available on XLE AWD, and a 14-inch touchscreen with 5G connectivity anchors the cabin. Toyota expects pricing in the $55,000 to $60,000 range, though that figure is an estimate until it is confirmed near launch.

Kia Telluride Hybrid: a ground-up second generation

Revealed at the LA Auto Show on November 20, 2025, the all-new Telluride enters its second generation with a boxier, more upright look and, for the first time, a hybrid powertrain. Kia pairs a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a 1.65-kWh battery and electric motors for a combined 329 horsepower and an estimated 35 mpg. The Telluride Hybrid starts at $48,035 including a $1,545 destination charge, because the hybrid line begins at the better-equipped EX trim rather than the cheaper gas-only grades.

• Powertrain: 2.5L turbo + hybrid system, 329 hp combined, ~35 mpg estimated
• Starting price: $48,035 (HEV begins at EX trim, with destination)
• Trims: EX, SX, SX X-Line, SX Prestige, SX Prestige X-Line
• Comfort: relaxation seats, climate-controlled second-row captain's chairs, heated third row

BMW 3 Series (G50): the biggest redesign in a generation

The next 3 Series, codenamed G50, brings BMW's Neue Klasse design language to the sport sedan and is described as the nameplate's biggest change since the E90. The front end is reported to use a horizontal glass panel that integrates the headlights directly into the kidney surround, a major styling break from today's car. Production is reported to begin at Dingolfing in November 2026. The combustion car rides on an evolved CLAR II platform, the manual transmission is gone across the lineup, and a new M Performance model, expected to wear M350 badging with quad exhaust tips, replaces the M340i with at least 400 horsepower from a revised mild-hybrid B58 inline-six. A separate electric sedan, the i3, runs in parallel and is expected to start near $50,000.

Is the 2027 Porsche Cayenne really going all-electric?

Not entirely. Porsche is adding a fully electric Cayenne for 2027, but it launches alongside the existing gas and hybrid versions rather than replacing them. The new EV uses Porsche's 800-volt PPE architecture. The Cayenne S Electric starts at $128,650 in the U.S. and makes a nominal 536 horsepower, climbing to around 657 horsepower with launch control or the optional push-to-pass function. The entry Cayenne Electric is reported to start roughly $17,300 lower, near $111,350, with range up to about 405 miles on the WLTP cycle (EPA figures will be lower).

How affordable is the Rivian R2?

The R2 is Rivian's volume play, and it is meaningfully cheaper than the R1 lineup. Pricing runs from a targeted $45,000 base up to $57,990 for the launch Performance trim, plus a $1,495 destination charge. The Performance model uses dual motors for 656 horsepower, a claimed 0-60 mph of about 3.6 seconds, and over 300 miles of range. Lower trims trade power for value and arrive on a staggered schedule through 2027.

• R2 Performance: $57,990, dual-motor AWD, 656 hp, ~3.6 sec 0-60, 300+ mi (launches first)
• R2 Premium: $53,990, dual-motor, ~500 hp
• R2 Standard Long Range: ~$47,900, single-motor RWD, 350 hp, 320+ mi (first half of 2027)
• R2 Standard base: ~$45,000, single-motor RWD, 265+ mi (late 2027)

What is changing with the 2027 Toyota Corolla?

The next Corolla is reported to be a clean-sheet 13th generation adopting Toyota's Hammerhead front-end design language, the same look spreading across the Prius, Camry and Crown. The big mechanical change is a new, smaller 1.5-liter hybrid system replacing today's 1.8-liter unit, with a combined output around 136 horsepower and an expected EPA figure north of 50 mpg. Pricing is projected to land in the roughly $25,000 to $30,000 range, keeping the world's best-selling car squarely in reach for first-time buyers. Note that much of the Corolla detail is still based on leaks and renderings, with a debut expected in late 2026 and first U.S. deliveries into 2027, so treat the styling and final numbers as expected rather than confirmed.

Is the 2027 Lexus ES better as a hybrid or an EV?

For 2027 the Lexus ES is electrified across the board, sold only as a hybrid (ES350h) or a battery-electric (ES350e), and it is Lexus's first EV to share a platform with its hybrid sibling. Interestingly, the electric ES350e undercuts the hybrid, starting at $48,895 with destination versus $51,095 for the ES350h. The EV adds route planning, charge scheduling, preconditioning and vehicle-to-load, and the ES is the first Lexus to put a detailed map view in the gauge cluster. Pick the EV for tech and lower entry price, the hybrid for road-trip flexibility.

What does the redesigned 2027 Hyundai Tucson offer?

The next Tucson moves to Hyundai's squared-off Art of Steel design, with a boxier silhouette, H-shaped lighting borrowed from the Santa Fe, and a more rugged stance. Inside, dual 12.3-inch screens run Hyundai's new Pleos operating system, complete with a Gleo AI voice assistant and an in-car app store called Pleos Playground. On powertrains, reports indicate the redesign leans hard into electrification, with a hybrid making a reported 235 to 255 horsepower from a 1.6-liter turbo setup and a plug-in hybrid producing around 268 horsepower; cheaper gas-only engines are reported to be on the way out. Expect a starting price near $30,000, with arrival in late fall 2026 and first deliveries around December 2026 or January 2027. As with the Corolla, much of this comes from spy shots and leaks, so treat it as reported.

Which 2027 cars are most worth waiting for?

If you want the biggest leap over today's car, wait for the all-new platforms: the Kia Telluride Hybrid, the BMW 3 Series (G50) and the Hyundai Tucson are genuine clean-sheet redesigns. If you are EV-shopping, the Rivian R2 offers the best value, the Toyota Highlander EV is the most practical family pick, and the Porsche Cayenne Electric is the performance flagship. Shoppers on a budget should keep the next Corolla and the Lexus ES350e on the list for their combination of efficiency and price.

When do 2027 models go on sale?

Most 2027 models follow the usual pattern of arriving in calendar-year 2026. The Kia Telluride Hybrid reaches dealers in early 2026, the Rivian R2 Performance launched in spring 2026, and the Toyota Highlander EV, BMW 3 Series, Porsche Cayenne Electric and Hyundai Tucson are all expected to go on sale in late 2026, continuing into early 2027. The Rivian R2 Standard and the next Toyota Corolla are the later arrivals, with the cheapest R2 not due until late 2027.

Are 2027 prices going up?

In most cases, yes. Redesigned and newly electrified models tend to launch higher than the cars they replace. The Telluride Hybrid starts about $7,300 above the gas model partly because it begins at a higher trim, the Tucson is expected to creep up as it drops cheaper gas-only engines, and the electric Highlander is projected in the $55,000 to $60,000 range, well above today's gas Highlander. The Lexus ES350e is the notable exception, undercutting its own hybrid. Where a price is unannounced, treat it as an estimate until the automaker confirms it.

The takeaway for 2027 is that this is one of the deeper new-car classes in years, and the smart move is to match the launch calendar to your timeline. If you can wait into late 2026 and early 2027, you get first crack at genuinely new platforms and powertrains rather than a final-year version of an aging model. Watch for confirmed EPA range and final MSRP announcements as each car nears its on-sale date, since those are the two figures still most likely to shift between now and launch.