As a Toyota owner, whenever Toyota launches a new car, my heart is inevitably swaying, and I always think that I can drive a hand. Now, it's been a while since the fourth-generation Highlander hit the market, and I finally have a chance to "get in touch" with this "seven-seat SUV ceiling.". So, what are the improvements compared to the previous generation? As a family car, is it good to drive? Along with these questions, our test drive evaluation has also begun.
According to the convention, let's briefly introduce our test drive. The fourth-generation Highlander was first launched at the Shanghai Auto Show in April last year and listed in June of the same year, and it was fortunate that we got a top-of-the-line version of it, that is, the four-wheel drive premium version, with a guidance price of 348,800 yuan.
Static experience is not just a size upgrade
In terms of appearance, the fourth generation highlander has changed a lot, first of all, the front face is equipped with a new rounded trapezoidal intake grille, and a flying wing-like chrome decoration is arranged above the grille, and the overall recognition is still very high. At the same time, the front grille of the fourth generation Highlander has also been blackened, and with the newly designed headlights on both sides, the sense of grade has been significantly improved, so that you can't forget it at a glance.
In addition, the wider body silhouette, the fourth generation highlander has reached 4950mm in length, while the height of the car is close to 2 meters, and the size has been comprehensively improved compared to the third-generation model, which also makes it look more burly, further defending its identity as a benchmark for 300,000-class 7-seat SUV. Of course, for owners who are accustomed to driving compact SUVs, the body is not a good thing, and it will take a while to get used to it.
In the rear part of the car, the fourth-generation Highlander redesigned the taillights, the original light group shape was adjusted, and the internal lamp beads were also rearranged, which helped a lot for aesthetic improvement. As for the license plate area, the same rounded trapezoidal design as the front grille is adopted, which also achieves end-to-end echo to a certain extent.
The suspension screen adds a more textured interior
Realistically speaking, the upgrade of the Highlander in the interior part is very comprehensive, if you have driven the third generation of Highlander before, then entering the car, you must have an illusion, will suspect that this car and you have previously driven is not a car. The first is the large area of soft material wrapping of the central control and door panel, which will make you feel that this is a level that only a domestic car at the same price has. In addition, the HUD head-up display and the addition of a 12.3-inch floating large screen have also greatly improved the sense of technology in the car.
Space leapfrogging does not live up to the name of benchmarking
It is also worth mentioning the space performance of the fourth generation Highlander, after the size of the car has been further upgraded. The 175cm tall experiencer sits in the car and adjusts the seat to the lowest, at this time there is still room for the head to move more than one punch and one finger. In addition, thanks to the high body posture, the front row has a good view and the road conditions can be almost unobstructed.
The front seat remains unchanged, the same experiencer comes to the back row, at this time the experiencer's head space is three fingers, the leg space is about one elbow, and the difficult movements such as the legs of the stilt erlang are completely out of the question. To its credit, Highlander's second row of seats is filled with soft interiors and supports manual adjustment of the backrest angle, making it feel like a soft sofa and not getting tired from a long ride.
The second row of seats remains still, the front seats are adjusted forward, and after leaving two punches of leg space for the second row, the same experiencers enter the third row, this time with two fingers in the head space and one punch in the leg space. Although it is excellent compared to the same class, due to the lower seats in the third row, it will give people a feeling of sitting on a small horse, so the actual physical feeling is not very comfortable, not suitable for long-distance rides.
In terms of storage space, the "soap box" storage slot of the co-pilot position is a major feature of the car, and it is usually possible to put the mobile phone and other debris into it, while the ticket holder of the main driving position is also very practical, and it is also very convenient to store the driver's license and driving book every day. In addition, despite the addition of motors and batteries, the actual impact on highland space is not large, and the depth of the handrail box has been reduced, but the experiencer can still put the whole arm into it, which is very exaggerated.
(Before the third row of seats is reclined)
(After the third row of seats is receded)
(After the second row of seats is receded)
Next is highlander space display, as a 7-seat SUV with a main space, the fourth-generation Highlander inherits the excellent practicality and expandability of the previous generation model as always, and the wide tailgate can put a lot of daily necessities. In addition, the second and third row seats of the fourth-generation Highlander can be fully reclined, but there will be a slight slope after the second row of seats is receded, but fortunately, the impact is not large.
Dynamic experience It has become more suitable for home
In terms of power, it is the highlight of the fourth-generation Highlander, which is equipped with a 2.5L gasoline-electric hybrid system, thanks to the intervention of the motor and battery, the comprehensive maximum output of this car has reached 249 horsepower, which is much higher than the previous model. In addition, the comprehensive fuel consumption of the new car has also been reduced to 6.1 liters /100 km, which is already comparable to some mainstream joint venture compact cars, which makes us have to admire Toyota's profound achievements in hybrid technology.
In terms of driving experience, for me, who is used to driving ANGA, the Highlander is extremely comfortable to drive, and the most impressive thing to me is its steering. The lighter driving feel and precise steering are its plus, especially when cornering at low speeds, you will feel that it is very flexible to drive, and the return force is also very suitable, just like driving a compact SUV, even in the face of narrow right angle bends can easily cope.
Plus, as you drive it through longer corners, you'll notice that the bike is very smooth, which is actually largely supported by the front McPherson suspension and the rear E-type multi-link independent suspension. When passing through bumpy roads, this suspension system can also effectively filter out small bumps, giving the passenger the most intuitive impression of being very comfortable.
As for the acceleration of the somatosensory, I believe that friends who have driven Toyota hybrids are very familiar, in front of the traffic lights, when you step on the accelerator pedal, the motor will give priority to intervene, bringing a faster start, and then, the 2.5L naturally aspirated engine will also roar, without any delay, bringing you a driving feeling like a flowing stream. Of course, since there is no turbocharging, the acceleration of this power system in the second half will be a bit difficult, especially when the speed is increased to 80km/h, and the so-called pleasure disappears.
One thing to complain about: engine noise suppression is a problem
Although Highlander provides three driving modes of "standard", "sport" and "economy", in fact, the gap between the three is not large, nothing more than that the engine will intervene more in advance in the sport mode to accelerate, while in the economic mode, the engine will have some "arrogance". But after all, it is a hybrid car, fuel saving is its strength, if you want to drive it on the road, I advise you to forget the Highlander.
Another point to complain about is the engine noise problem, the fourth generation Highlander as always inherited the Toyota hybrid model of the "high voice", especially when stepping on the "floor oil", the engine will try to attract your attention. At this point, you will feel that it is actually not so "cute". In addition to the engine noise in the high-speed state, in the low-speed state of highlander, the larger motor analog sound is also a "common disease" of Toyota hybrid models, and it will not mind passing into the car at all, which is also the place where Toyota's future hybrid models can be improved.
Write at the end
Overall, the fourth-generation Highlander has improved in all aspects, and after the cancellation of the 2.0T version, it is now positioned more in favor of a home SUV. After the actual experience of a few days, the performance fuel consumption of this car is only 6.5 liters / 100 kilometers, you know, this is the fuel consumption measured under the warm air of the whole air conditioner, no one will think that this is a medium-sized SUV that weighs nearly 2 tons. Finally, the purchase advice, if you want to buy a 7-seat SUV as a home, then the Highlander is not wrong, after all, there is a Toyota quality guarantee, and if you want a more outstanding SUV to show off in front of friends, then go to see the Next Door Toon and Explorer.