Toyota Highlander is a front- or all-wheel drive mid-size SUV that combines expressive design, modern and functional interior, productive and reliable technical "stuffing", as well as balanced "driving" potential ... The main target audience of the car (at least in Russia) includes middle-aged and older family men (usually with several children) who have their own profitable business or occupy a “warm place” in corporate / government structures.
The mid-size crossover Toyota Highlander of the fourth generation made its official debut in mid-April 2019 at the stands of the International New York Auto Show, and in December of the same year its sales began in the United States.
Compared to its predecessor, the car, although it retained the classic proportions, became visually more attractive and more mature, moved to a new modular "trolley", simultaneously enlarged in size, got a modern and more spacious interior, and generally improved on all fronts.
Outwardly, the "fourth" Toyota Highlander looks elegant, proportional, brutal and very solid, and in its outlines there is a bit of healthy aggression. In front, the crossover looks menacingly at the world with bulging LED optics, adjacent to a hexagonal radiator grille and a raised bumper, and at the back it flaunts stylish "blades" of lamps, a large trunk lid with stamping again in a hexagonal shape and an unpretentious bumper.
In profile, the five-door "flaunts" a harmonious, moderately presentable and definitely not heavy silhouette, catching the eye with a long and slightly sloping hood, side glazing, as if "built up" to the stern, complex plastic sidewalls and rounded-square wheel arches.
This is a typical representative of the class of mid-size SUVs: it reaches 4966 mm in length, of which 2850 mm is the distance between the wheelsets of the front and rear axles, is 1930 mm in width and does not exceed 1755 mm in height. The curb weight of the car varies from 2015 to 2110 kg, depending on the version, and its maximum permissible weight is 2700 kg.
Interior
Toyota Highlander of the fourth generation is distinguished by a beautiful, modern and "adult" interior design, emphasized by well-thought-out ergonomics and exceptionally solid finishing materials.
Directly in front of the driver is a multifunctional steering wheel with a "plump" three-spoke rim and a "smart" instrument cluster with two dials, between which a large color display of the onboard computer is inscribed. The asymmetric center console is “headed” by a 12.3-inch touchscreen (in the “base” - 8-inch) of the infotainment system, under which a very clear “microclimate” unit and a pair of ventilation deflectors are “registered”.
By default, the interior of the "fourth" Toyota Highlander is eight-seater, with ergonomically profiled front seats with good lateral support, wide adjustment intervals and all modern options, and a "gallery" designed to accommodate three riders.
But on the second row, either a full-fledged three-seater sofa can be installed, adjustable in the longitudinal direction and in the angle of the backrest, or two "captain's" seats with armrests, individual adjustments and heating.
Even with an eight- / seven-seat layout, the trunk of a mid-size crossover is far from nominal - 456 liters, and even "flaunts" an ideal shape with smooth walls.
The third row of seats, when folded down, brings the volume of the cargo compartment to 1150 liters, and the second - to 2076 liters (plus a completely flat floor is obtained). In the underground, the car hides a "stowaway" and a minimum set of tools.
Specifications
In the Russian market for the fourth generation Toyota Highlander, the only engine announced is a V-shaped six-cylinder "aspirated" with a working volume of 3.5 liters with combined fuel injection, a 60-degree camber angle, a variable-length intake manifold and phase shifters at the inlet and outlet, generating 249 horsepower forces at 5000-6600 rpm and 356 Nm of torque at 4700 rpm.
The motor is stitched together with an 8-band hydromechanical "automatic" and all-wheel drive transmission, the latter can be of two types: by default, the car relies on a system with a multi-plate clutch that connects the rear wheels; "Top-end" versions are equipped with a more advanced all-wheel drive Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD, "flaunting" two electromagnetic clutches on the rear axle.
How agile the SUV is in acceleration from a place to the first "hundred" is not yet reported, unlike other parameters: the maximum capabilities of the five-door "rest" at 180 km / h, and its fuel consumption averages 9.5 liters per every 100 km paths in combined mode.
Design features
The fourth "release" Toyota Highlander is built on a modular "bogie" TNGA GA-K with a low center of gravity, longitudinal engine arrangement and a monocoque body, characterized by extensive use of high-strength grades of steel in the power structure.
On both axles of the crossover, independent spring suspensions with anti-roll bars are used: at the front - architecture with MacPherson struts, at the rear - a multi-link system. As standard, the car is supplied with a gear-rack-type steering mechanism with an active electric power steering.
The five-door boasts disc brakes "in a circle" (ventilated on the front axle), working in conjunction with ABS, EBD and BA.
Options and prices
In the Russian market, the fourth generation Toyota Highlander is offered in two trim levels to choose from - Prestige and Safety Suite (the first is equipped with a simple all-wheel drive, and the second with a more advanced Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD).
- For the "initial" configuration, dealers ask for at least 3,727,000 rubles, and the list of its equipment includes: seven airbags, 18-inch alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, all-LED optics, a media center with an 8-inch screen, leather interior trim , ABS, ESP, heated seats of the first and second rows and steering wheel, electric drive and ventilation of the front seats, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, electric tailgate and other modern options.
- The "top" version will cost from 4,330,000 rubles, and its privileges are: a 10.5-inch projection display, panoramic roof, electric heated windshield, JBL audio system with 11 speakers, navigator, all-round cameras, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, automatic braking, lane keeping technology and much more.
