The Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid announces its arrival in Europe from 2021

Toyota continues moving forward in its effort to present a more global image of its models, as we have seen with the arrival of the new Camry in Europe now that the Avensis is disappearing from the brand’s catalogue on this continent. Now the brand brings us a new model unknown in our market, which will sit at the very top of its SUV segment, above the Yaris Cross, the C-HR and the RAV4: this is the Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid.

The new Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid has been developed on the GA-K platform, which will sound familiar because it has also recently been used in the new Camry. It allows the SUV to reach a respectable length of 4,950 mm, which translates into a vehicle that projects a sense of robustness on the outside, supported by enormous 20-inch wheels, combined with a design in which the lines flow smoothly and dynamically to reflect a thoroughly refined appearance.

This design naturally carries over to a spacious, roomy interior with seating for 7, leaving more than enough space for two adults in the last two seats, which can be entered and exited with total ease. With this third row of seats folded, the Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid offers a boot of 658 litres, expandable to 1,909 litres if the second row of seats is folded down, which can be accessed through the power-operated tailgate with a sensor under the rear bumper.

For now, Toyota is not offering many specific details about the equipment we will find, but behind those somewhat busy lines characteristic of the Japanese brand there are numerous technological components. Above all, the 12.3-inch screen located at the top of the centre console, dedicated to navigation and infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, will stand out, along with a head-up display, wireless charging for mobile phones, seats with ventilation function, a digital rear-view mirror and numerous compartments and USB connections spread across the front and the second row of seats.

To all this must be added the numerous safety systems included in the Toyota Safety Sense package, which includes features such as a pre-collision safety system with active steering assist to avoid collisions, pedestrian detection by day and night and cyclist detection by day, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Trace Assist, Lane Departure Warning with steering assistance, Intelligent High Beam Control and Road Sign Assist.

In the mechanical section, and as is already customary for the brand, its powertrain uses a hybrid system. The Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid features the fourth generation of the Toyota Electric Hybrid system, which combines a 2,500 cc petrol engine with two electric motors located on the front and rear axles. This layout also allows it to be equipped with AWD-i intelligent all-wheel drive, and a nickel-metal hydride battery is placed under the second-row seats.

This hybrid system gives the Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid a combined output of 244 CV, which translates into a combined consumption of 6.6 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 146 g/km, both according to the WLTP test cycle. It will also offer four driving modes called ECO, Normal, Sport and Trail, with the peculiarity that they can be used even when driving in fully electric EV mode, since this mode can be selected independently.

For now we will have to wait to learn more specific details about the new Toyota Highlander Electric Hybrid, as the brand does not plan to sell it in Europe until 2021.