Test: Toyota Highlander

If you are looking for a car with seven seats, you will soon end up with an SUV or it will be something in the corner of the Citroën Berlingo or Opel Combo. In the realm of seven-seater MPVs, the BMW 2-series Active Tourer, Citroën Grand C4 Space Tourer, Dacia Lodgy, Renault Espace and Grand Scénic and the Toyota Prius+ are among the last of the Mohicans. A dying species. The station wagon with three rows of seats, for example, once died. Do you remember them, the Peugeot 505 Familiale and the Renault 21 Nevada? Yet there is still plenty to choose from when it comes to seven-seaters, only the packaging is different. And there is still demand for it. Those two extra seats are a godsend for a family with three children, but also for sports matches at the weekend. Another category, which should not be underestimated, is that of blended families, with suddenly four or five children together. Opel noticed this need for seating in the early 1990s and the first generation Zafira was therefore offered as standard with two folding seats under the luggage floor. It is remarkable that you can also go to the most expensive segment, even more than in the affordable class. Think of the Audi Q7, the BMW X7, the Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz GLS. Then you quickly lose a ton or more. We don’t make it that bright with the Toyota Highlander tested here.

Two electric motors

The Toyota Highlander is new for the Netherlands, because our importer has never delivered this model before. This generation entered the showroom in 2019 and has a 3.5-liter V6 in many markets. That seems like a very nice power source for this car, but it would lead to an astronomical bpm amount. Hence the hybrid powertrain, combined with an additional electric motor on the rear axle. In terms of design, there are strong similarities with the current RAV4, which debuted in 2018, albeit with slightly sharper folds and lines. The Highlander has more curves and looks friendlier. How do these two relate to each other in length? The RAV4 is 35 centimeters shorter than its bigger brother and seven centimeters narrower, so that the Highlander goes well beyond a width of 1.90 meters. You notice this clearly in parking garages, just like the length of almost five meters. That’s more than a BMW X5. In short, you are really on the road with a beast and that does not go unnoticed, as we sometimes concluded from the reactions. It may be a hybrid, but with an SUV of this size you don’t make friends everywhere. The well-known 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which is also used in many other models, provides the drive. In the front, it works together with an electric motor that has almost as much power as the combustion engine. Four-wheel drive owes the Highlander to an additional motor on the rear axle, which does not participate under normal circumstances. The system power is almost as high as the maximum power of the version with V6. That is necessary, with a weight of just over two tons. The same weight is allowed on the towbar. Add to that another seven people and a little luggage and you are on the road with only 4.5 tons.

Roaring engine

Although the interior looks neat, we should note that the current generation of ‘European’ Toyota’s more beautiful interiors. Not that it’s easy, but the bar is a bit higher these days. What looks downright cheap is the plastic housing of the JBL tweeters in the A-pillars. There is in any case plenty of space, also in the second and third rows of seats, provided you slide the middle row slightly forward. The extra length is further reflected in the large trunk that remains even with all the seats in use. With the driving characteristics of the new Corolla and recently the new Yaris Cross in mind, we get behind the wheel of the Highlander. It is not difficult to guess that it drives completely differently. It’s a big, bulky car. The steering is distant and the suspension remarkably smooth, but the shock absorbers put the body back to a halt rather quickly. Driving pleasure was not a priority here, you notice that immediately. It is above all a nice relaxed travel car, exactly what you buy it for. The drivetrain throws a bit of a spanner in the works. Sure, there is plenty of power, but the four-cylinder makes a roar at the slightest movement of the accelerator, a fact that is due to the stepless transmission. You hear that a lot of work has to be done and that does not fit in a car of almost 73 grand. Even when entering relatively quietly on the highway, the engine quickly revs, despite the powerful electric motor. Once up to speed, everything goes into rest mode and the fact that the power source does not have to deliver top performance is apparent from the relatively low fuel consumption. Let’s face it: an average of 1 in 14 is for a car of this size and with this weight downright neat.

overzealous

The test car is equipped with adaptive cruise control. That is very nice, but in this case the system is very diligent. The Toyota anchors very early and then starts very slowly. Example: You are driving on the highway in the right lane and are overtaken by a faster moving car. Immediately afterwards you go to the left to overtake the truck in front of you. Then the Highlander first goes firmly into the anchors. Then the system concludes that the car in front of him is quite far away and also drives much faster, so the calculator gets to work and then decides to give it some gas. Meanwhile, that BMW behind you is already sticking to your bumper. It is true that you can always overrule the system by stepping on the gas yourself, but you actually want everything to be fully automatic. There is nothing to criticize about the standard equipment. Everything is on board, including assistance systems. He does not have a panoramic roof.