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Toyota does a lot of things very well, but one of the things that it does best is the average size SUV family. The Highlander has long been a segment leader with excellent build quality, high reliability and a reasonable price. All this seems to remain for the Highlander 2020, which will debut at the New York Auto Show this week. But Toyota is also launching a lot of technology at the Highlander – something he badly needed.
Most of the Highlander's sophisticated new technologies are possible because Toyota is moving the SUV onto its TNGA-K platform. Yes tnga looks like a series of familiar letters, probably because Toyota has spent the last few years making the transition almost all of its range unibody vehicles to a flavor of it.
For 2020, the new Highlander will offer two powertrains. The first is a relatively standard 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine that develops 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. This engine uses Toyota's dual fuel injection system D4, which uses both direct fuel injection and multi-point injection (and which we've seen for the first time Toyota 86 born Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins). This engine, bolted to the standard eight-speed automobile, is good for 22 miles per gallon.
The optional hybrid transmission is particularly interesting. Toyota remains the undisputed king of hybrid technologyand the new Highlander is really diving into it. Rather than the hybrid Synergy Drive system we are all used to, Toyota is launching a new generation system called Predictive Efficient Drive.
Predictive Efficient Drive is an intelligent hybrid system in the sense that it monitors and learns driver habits and compares it to GPS data on future roads to decide when to best use the electrical part of the transmission for maximum efficiency. It's pretty cool, but the cool thing is that Toyota says the Highlander hybrid will offer its owners 34 miles per gallon combined. It's unreal in a big SUV and a 17% increase over the previous generation hybrid.
The new Highlander draws some of its stylistic elements from the recently updated RAV4 – and that's not a bad thing.
Toyota
On the outside, the new Highlander is growing a bit (2.36 inches in length, to be precise), but manages to look slimmer than the car it's replacing. This is mainly due to the new, more aggressive style we like. We also appreciate the fact that Toyota has been striving to make this new design functional, by adjusting mirrors and even taillights to reduce wind noise at high speeds. For 2020, the Highlander is now available with its first 20-inch wheels. There is also a unique set only available as an option on the Platinum Level Upgrade Level.
The Highlander has also not yielded ground in the category of interior rooms. It is still pretty cavernous to carry all your kids and bullshit or to swallow flatback furniture for a no-nonsense Ikea shopping trip.
The Highlander L and LE trim levels feature a standard second row bench seat, which means it can accommodate a total of eight people. The XLE and Limited versions are equipped with captain's seats in the second row for a total capacity of seven people, although you can swap them for a bench. The Platinum Top Level trim comes with the second row captain's chairs and you can not replace them with a bench because luxury.
No matter what level of finish you choose, however, if you are interested in security technology. All 2020 Highlander models come standard with Toyota's SafetySense 2.0 ADAS. SafetySense 2.0 includes features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assistance, automatic high beam, tracking assistance, and more. track and help with road signs. Other safety functions that are not part of SafetySense are optional, depending on the level of finish desired. They include blind spot monitoring, parking sonar and parking brake.
The interior of the high-end Platinum trim boasts a 12.3-inch touch-screen infotainment system, while the lower models feature an eight-inch device.
Toyota
Inside, things improve again. The Platinum trim level supports a 12.3-inch touch screen in the center console, one of the largest in the segment, and all other models in an 8-inch unit. The latest version of Toyota's infotainment platform also supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa. It's time for Toyota.
Toyota has not given us information on expected prices or a potential date of sale, but we bet the first will be quite reasonable and the last will be later this year.
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