If you want to choose the list of the most watched SUV models of the year, GAC Toyota Highlander will definitely be easy on the list. As the absolute king of the domestic mid-size SUV market, Highlander will deliver a very good answer every year. And the most obvious market position of Highlander is the sentence that other brands will say when new cars are listed: Our competitor is Toyota Highlander. In the face of these competitions, Highlander only smiled lightly: Come on, I am not afraid at all.
Why does GAC Toyota Highlander have such confidence? Is it true that in the midsize SUV market for so many years, no other model can beat it? The new Highlander, which has just undergone a generational update, what are we worth looking forward to and choosing? With these questions, drive a new Highlander, and the answer will definitely be found in the test drive.
The appearance of moderation?
It doesn't exist anymore!
Before we said that Toyota models tend to buckle a "moderate" hat, the appearance is moderate, the interior is moderate, the power is moderate, as if toyota models can only give us a decent feeling. If the previous Highlander can be described as simple, then the new Highlander can really make people shine in appearance.
Using the new TNGA-K architecture, highlander has evolved in terms of vehicle size, reaching 4965mm, 1930mm and 1750mm in length, width and height, and the wheelbase is also 2850mm larger than that of the third-generation Highlander. Coupled with the "flying wing trim strip" centered on the Logo, the headlight group with the angle raised and the new style of grille, the front face of the new Highlander is more youthful and personalized, and because of the increase in the size of the vehicle, the Highlander looks more powerful.
Highlighting the visual tension and using large wheels is definitely a good way, so Highlander also uses 20-inch wheels to install on the car in high-end models, with the full line treatment of the side of the vehicle, so that the Highlander model has a more personalized appearance, and then creates a more slender feeling. It can be said that the updated iteration in appearance will make highlander, which has been loved by consumers before, more attention.
Cover the logo,
Can you think that this interior is Highlander's?
The overall young is a few years younger, which is the biggest feeling that the new Highlander gives us in terms of appearance. Sitting in the car, the new Highlander also brought us a lot of surprises. In the test drive, the double 12.3-inch LCD screen gave highlanders a sense of freshness and technology that had not been seen in previous Toyota models, and the previous feeling of hard interior materials was also gone on this Highlander. If it weren't for the unique storage space of the previous Highlander under the center console and above the co-pilot glove box, you would not have thought that this was the interior of the Highlander model that we had the impression of.
The light interior color scheme and the wide seats are all familiar to Highlander. Interior space, as the proudest feature of the Highlander model, is also one of the biggest reasons for consumers to buy highland models, and has also increased in the new Highlander models.
In addition to the front seats can provide a good riding experience, Highlander can adjust the front and rear and angle of the second row of seats not only to allow friends and family to find a suitable sitting position, but also to put the second and third rows of seats down to form a flat space, it is more convenient to use. One might argue that Highlander's space isn't the biggest at this price point, but it's also one of the best models at this price point that combines space and interior.
If you have to find some small regrets in the space, it is that after the wheelbase becomes 2850mm, the space performance of the third row has improved, but it is still not suitable for a long ride, as for the short distance, it is really much more than most 7-seat SUVs.
Speaking of configuration, this time Highlander also worked hard in the configuration: streaming media rearview mirrors, HUD head-up display, 11-speaker JBL sound system, navigation, OTA upgrade of car-machine interconnection and other functions have also been included in Highlander's configuration table, and the emergence of "Hello, Xiaoyue" voice assistant has also improved Highlander and GAC Toyota's human-computer interconnection capabilities.
When Highlander meets the hybrid
"Horses run fast and eat less"
The new Highlander is based on the Toyota TNGA-K platform, and in the powertrain, it also chooses Toyota's fourth-generation enhanced THSII Toyota Hybrid System. The combination of 2.5L engine and electric motor not only allows the comprehensive fuel consumption of four-wheel drive models to be controlled at 5.8L per 100 kilometers, but also makes this medium-sized SUV with a large weight have a better driving experience in the city.
Toyota's hybrid system does not need too much introduction, starting lightly on the accelerator, the injection of electric motor energy makes highlander start very light. As the speed of the vehicle continues to rise, the engine and the electric motor work very closely with each other, and with the cooperation of the E-CVT electronic stepless transmission system, it can "seamlessly switch", always keeping the hybrid system in the best range of power output and fuel economy. And it is also the addition of the hybrid system, the Highlander model also has a better improvement in the quietness of the vehicle. In short, driving a hybrid Highlander, you will definitely understand what is called "horses can run fast and eat less".
However, hybrid models are often at high speed, or when accelerating sharply, the sound of the engine pulling high speed will appear to be somewhat "hoarse", and the hybrid Highlander is no exception. Although the sound of the engine will be much weakened to the cab after the vehicle is muted, it will also affect you who are driving at this time. In fact, Highlander's advantage is not to fight with others for speed, its advantage is to use the right time, in the most comfortable way, quietly send the family to the destination.
Highlander, yyds
Since its domestic listing in 2009, Highlander has sold more than 1.1 million units, which has left a deep impression on consumers. From 2.7L to 2.0T to the current 2.5L hybrid, every change of Highlander can hit the "key point" of consumers. With the increase in sales and the increase in word of mouth, "buy SUV to buy Highlander", Hanlan has reached the first choice in the hearts of many consumers. And that "frighteningly high" retention rate is also the best compliment given to Highlander's market performance.
Today, the TNGA-K plus the 2.5L hybrid allows Highlander to stand in front of us with a new look, with a more personalized appearance, a more textured interior than the previous model and a quieter and more economical power performance, if nothing else, the new Highlander is still the "yyds" in the SUV.