[ad_1]
Active safety and increased efficiency allow Highlander to stand out.
The arms race in the three-row crossing segment shows no sign of cooling, with redesigned vehicles coming from established players like Ford, as well as new entries from Hyundai and Kia. But if the idea of a rear-drive platform worries you or if you prefer a vehicle owned by a well-established supplier of familiar large road haulers, the Toyota Highlander 2020 is here.
Begun at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, the fourth-generation Toyota Highlander is like a fusion of everything we've seen from the Japanese giant in recent years.
The platform that underlies it is another member of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) family called TNGA-K. The Highlander shares the basics of this modular platform with everything from the compact Corolla baby sedan to the newly redesigned RAV4, Camry and Avalon. Toyota designed the platform so that the latest Highlander system continues to offer drivers the choice between a naturally aspirated V6 or a gasoline-electric hybrid. That said, the Highlander is not yet making the leap to plug-in electrification.
The standard 3.5-liter V6 produces 295 horsepower and 263 pounds of torque. This is not surprising at this and the available towing index of £ 5,000, as all figures are consistent with Highlander 2019 figures.
The Highlander Hybrid gives rise to a familiar pairing … for a Camry or Avalon. While the outgoing Highlander Hybrid is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 and a pair of electric motors, the 2020 model falls to a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, thus reducing the total power of the system from 306 to 240 HP. The advantage is the improvement in efficiency, although the 17% increase in fuel consumption of the 2020 model (from 28 km / gallon combined to 34 cumulative) can not offset the 22% drop in power. That said, Toyota has found a way to offer the Highlander Hybrid front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, rather than a full-wheel drive. This should at least bring down the price of the electrified CUV.
These powertrain modifications are hiding under a revised body that softens the aggressive lines of the RAV4 and adds a more streamlined style to the Avalon. That said, the overall look is far more evolutionary than other recent Toyota refits. While the designers have happily removed the razor-sharp grille, if you do not like the look of the current Highlander, you probably will not be crazy about the design of the new one. Ditto inside, which is even more the current design of the crossover, although we are happier with this decision: the current cabin of the Highlander is really beautiful.
The expanded infotainment screen however constitutes a big change for the cabin. Today, with 12.3 inches of real estate, the optional multimedia system is the largest in the segment, according to Toyota. That said, it is only available on Platinum trim. Customers of lower models will have to cope with an eight inch screen always adequate. Although the larger screen is not standard, the Highlander follows the trend of other new Toyota products and adds a full suite of active safety as standard.
The new Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 system replaces the outgoing model's Toyota Safety Sense P. while maintaining the TSS-P (Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control at Full Speed, Forward Collision Warning with Braking automatic emergency and pedestrian detection, and automatic high beam), it adds the recognition of road signs and help to maintain the track. Like Toyota's other new products, Highlander's active safety equipment comes standard, regardless of finish.
Toyota will offer the Highlander in five versions for the gasoline model (L, LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum) and four versions for the hybrid variant (LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum). That said, the company has not announced a price yet. Sales of the V6 will begin in December 2019, while the Highlander Hybrid will arrive at dealerships in February 2020.
To learn more about the Toyota Highlander 2020, see how it compares to the competition. And to learn more about the 2019 New York International Auto Show, visit our latest news center.
[ad_2]
Source link