SUV Toyota Highlander: Road Cruiser

 

SUV Toyota Highlander: Road Cruiser

 The new Toyota Highlander 2020 has become one of the brand's largest SUVs. It has a completely new design, modern interior and more off-road capabilities.

Compared to the previous generation, the Highlander has become 6 cm longer and falls short of the Land Cruiser 200 by only 2 cm, and the Prado has even overtaken it. Can you imagine how he grew up? Although the height and width of the new generation dimensions have remained almost unchanged.

Convenient as at home

If we talk about the new look, it worked. Moreover, among all Toyota crossovers, I like the Highlander the most. Even if it was the same size as the RAV4, which became a bit similar, the Highlander looks more harmonious, because there are fewer faces in the design. The headlights are also smoother, and the lighting is almost completely LED.

Toyota Highlander - a car for large companies. With this salon in the "Highlander" you can save on hotels, because on the unfolded chairs you can arrange two spacious beds. Although buyers of such "Toyota" are not accustomed to saving on comfort. It easily takes on board seven passengers, and all of them will feel very comfortable. All chairs can change the angle of inclination, have a comfortable profile, each row has air deflectors.

Even in the third row there is enough space not only for children but also for adult passengers. There is enough air above your head in the cabin, as if in a minivan. Perhaps this feeling is due to the huge panoramic roof, which is located above the first and second row. At the same time on the second row in the top complete set of Premium there is a heating of armchairs, and the angle of inclination of backs changes even on the third. Again, to increase the space for passengers in the gallery, you can move the second row forward.

The rear doors even have sun blinds, though only in our top version Premium, in the simpler Elegance they are not.

In terms of safety, the maximum equipment includes the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 system, which can brake automatically, avoiding collisions, monitor road signs, has intelligent cruise control, can switch high beam and driver fatigue monitoring system. Also very useful is the wireless charging for mobile, projection screen. Our top Highlander is equipped with a premium JBL audio system with 11 speakers that produce 1200 watts of power. It sounds very cool, it feels like you got to a concert of your favorite artist.

Only 332 liters fit in the trunk with the third row unfolded. But if you fold the backs of the third and second rows, the cabin will include 1909 liters.

Pulls even from the bottom

Under the hood - a cult engine for "Toyota" with a capacity of 3.5 liters at 249 horsepower. However, it is one thing when he is under the hood of the Camry, which is 5 quintals lighter, and another - in the Highlander with 2100 kilos of equipment. However, the car is lively for such dimensions and weight - it takes 8.5 seconds to a hundred. The engine develops its maximum thrust of 356 Nm at almost 5,000 rpm, and surprisingly pulls well from the bottom. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic, such a "Toyota" is only all-wheel drive.

The engine is rapidly gaining momentum, especially in "sport" mode, although the maximum speed is limited to 180 km / h. Instead, it sounds noble, like a real V6 and very quiet. Diesel never dreamed of that. However, a large volume can not be too economical. The lowest figure I reached in Eco mode is 10.5 liters per hundred. But even in the technical characteristics promise 13.3 liters in the city. Although, based on official data, the track can fit in 7.2 liters. However, you are unlikely to get such a figure - you have to go at a speed of not more than 90 km / h.

But to be guided by "Highlander" became better. Because it was created on a new platform, in addition, Highlander received new suspension settings, so it became more obedient than its predecessor. Although, of course, the solidity in the reactions is still greater than the excitement.

On the asphalt it is a real cruiser for voyages. The large mass provides "Toyota" a solid course. She floats on the asphalt. However, in the pits you feel that the car is shod in huge 20-inch wheels, and if it were not for them, there would be even more comfort. And so sometimes they work hard on road defects. However, the cheaper equipment has smaller, 19-inch wheels. And here noise isolation at height - external noises practically are not heard.

Choose off-road

I did not expect to see in "Highlander" additional modes for off-road. We take into account the descent assistant from the mountain, he is in the simplest crossovers. I'm talking about electronics called Multi Terrain Select, which offers three off-road modes. They change the traction distribution between the wheels, blocking the axle clutch in Rock & Dirt and Mud & Sand modes. But even in combination with a ground clearance of 204 mm, this does not make the Highlander an off-road fighter. Interferes with a large mass. This is to feel more confident on a slippery road or get to a country house in winter.

In addition, Highlander all-wheel drive equipment is designed for greater comfort and safety on wet roads. The thrust vectoring system with two electromagnetic clutches allows you to adjust the torque on each rear wheel separately. It should help turn the car into a bend, but on such a big car it's hard to feel.

Thus, the new Highlander, in addition to remaining a large and comfortable 7-seater crossover, got a few more trump cards. This is a modern appearance, softer suspension, better handling, "advanced" all-wheel drive, which now allows you to go beyond the asphalt and good sound insulation.