The Toyota Highlander is Toyota’s largest hybrid SUV and one of the few hybrid SUVs with seating for seven passengers. The Japanese firm has now presented the new Toyota Highlander 2023a renovation that includes small aesthetic changes and equipment improvements with more technology than before.
The Toyota Highlander arrived in Europe in 2021 and we were able to test it earlier that year. The seven seats in its cabin are not its only asset: rolling comfort and numerous standard equipment are two other good reasons for buying, in addition to the AWD-i drive. When it arrived on our continent, it was perhaps completely unknown to many, but the Highlander is a very popular model in the United States, where it has been selling quite successfully for more than twenty years.
Now it receives a discreet update for the year 2023, which on an aesthetic level includes the option of Cypress Green metallic paint for the bodywork (the color of the car in the images) and new 20-inch wheels in glossy black.
Continuing with the visual aspect, two options for upholstery are added in the passenger compartment, which can now be chosen in Beige leather or Ocher leather, two shades that enhance the feeling of quality in the interior. Until now there were only two options available: gray or black leather. But these are not the only innovations inside.
The Highlander incorporates the new Toyota Smart Connect multimedia system, controllable through a 12.3-inch high-definition touch screen. This new system also adds functionality that includes the cloud browsing with real-time information on incidents on the road. Cloud navigation can be accessed without having to pair a smartphone and without additional data costs: a four-year data plan is included with the new Highlander, which also covers over-the-air (OTA) updates to the system.
High-end models (Luxury trim in Spain) are equipped with Toyota Smart Connect+, which includes an integrated navigation system that allows route planning when and where the cloud connection is not available. It also provides 3D urban mapping, traffic sign recognition and information on the location of fixed speed cameras. Both multimedia systems have a wireless connection through Apple CarPlay and a wired connection for Android Auto.
The new possibilities at the connectivity level also allow remote functions to be added through the mobile phone, such as locking and unlocking the doors or the operation of the emergency lights to help locate the car in a busy parking lot. All Highlander models now come with a wireless mobile phone charger, which has been relocated to the front console for ease of use.
Last but not least, it has also been completely renewed the instrument cluster, which is now fully digital with a 12.3-inch screen. The display creates the effect of a concave, three-dimensional instrument cluster, with graphics customizable to the driver’s preferences. There are four design themes: Casual, Smart, Tough, and Sport.
In Western Europe -and therefore, in Spain- the Toyota Highlander 2023 maintains the same 248 hp hybrid engine. It homologates a combined consumption of 7 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 149 g/km (WLTP combined cycle). Due to its status as a non-plug-in hybrid vehicle, it benefits from the DGT Eco label. For Eastern European markets there is a new 269PS 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which replaces the previous 3.5-litre V6 unit and reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by comparison with the previous engine.
The new Highlander 2023 It is now available for orders and first deliveries will start at fourth quarter of 2022.
