As one of Toyota's most successful models in China and the best 7-seat joint venture SUV sold in China, Highlander has ushered in a new replacement model last year and achieved "same sales" of new and old models. Despite this, the successful replacement of Highlander still seems to be unable to meet Toyota's occupation of the domestic mid-size SUV market.
Recently, a new Highlander suspected of pure fuel has been exposed, and it has been quickly speculated that GAC Toyota will launch a new Highlander that is more beginner than the "double engine" model to achieve a lowering of the car purchase threshold.
Given that the rear of the new car not only hangs an external exhaust pipe, but also attaches more "logos" to the rear of the car, including "D-4S T", "GAC Toyota" and "AWD", it means that this is a new Highlander model with a 2.0T turbocharged engine and supports four-wheel drive, and is currently undergoing testing of the China VIb emission standard.
Considering that the 2022 Highlander currently on sale is equipped with a 2.5L dual-engine engine, while the 2.0T turbocharged engine is only equipped with the old model, GAC Toyota may hope to use the old Highlander engine to lower the purchase threshold of the new Highlander model.
Referring to the current price of the 2022 Highlander of 26.88-34.888 million yuan, it is very close to the starting price of the 2021 Highlander of 25.88-29.98 million yuan, so it is not excluded that with the launch of the new Highlander 2.0T, Toyota will gradually discontinue the old 2.0T engine model.
Specifically, the 2022 Highlander of the "Dual Engine" is equipped with a power system composed of 2.5L+ motors, the maximum power of the engine and electric motor is 192 hp and 182 hp, respectively, while the torque is 238 Nm and 270 Nm, matching the E-CVT stepless transmission; and the 2021 Highlander is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine, with a maximum power of 220 hp and a maximum torque of 350 Nm, matching a 6AT gearbox.
It is worth mentioning that the old Highlander uses the code name 8AR-FTS engine, which is Toyota's 14 years to bring to the country's masterpiece 2.0T, and Lexus was using the "three doubles" engine at that time, so it used double cycle (Otto + Atkinson), double jet, double vortex tube technology, and even was evaluated by Toyota engineers at that time "the actual feeling is very similar to the large displacement V6", the comprehensive performance is still good.
In view of the fact that the 2022 Highlander is built with TNGA architecture, it is obviously larger in size than the old model, with a length, width and height of 4965* 1930 * 1750mm, a wheelbase of 2850mm, positioning a medium-sized SUV.
Although this performance is only a medium-sized SUV, for Lexus, it is already a medium-sized SUV positioning. According to the news of foreign media not long ago, lexus will also build a new medium and large SUV based on Highlander in the future, because Lexus has completed the trademark registration of "TX350", "TX500h" and "TX550+", so the new car is expected to be named TX.
In this regard, TV Jun speculated whether lexus TX will be based on the domestic first to create this larger size SUV, which is used to compete with the Dongfeng Infiniti QX60, Changan Lincoln Aviator, and BMW Brilliance X5 domestic medium and large SUV? After all, more and more models are now making changes to get sales in the Chinese market.
As a medium-sized SUV, highlander has always been a competitor to most joint venture medium and large SUVs in North America, but with the downward price of the 2.0T model, it is expected that more domestic models of the same level will be benchmarked.
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Even if the current Highlander still maintains "same-house sales", but the source of the old model has been very small, which means that the new Highlander has become the sales pillar of the series, the brand will also maintain the advantages of the new car, by changing the engine of the old model to achieve a lower purchase threshold for the new car, thereby stabilizing the market position of highlander in the domestic 7-seat SUV.
Perhaps the price of "dual engine" is more expensive, but its economic advantages are also very obvious, if consumers want to experience the turbo model to bring more surging performance, then I believe that the future can also buy the new Highlander with 2.0T turbocharging at a more affordable price.
According to the data, at present, the new Highlander in China is the fourth generation model, and the third generation model that has achieved sales in the same hall. The fourth-generation model will be domestically produced in June 2021, while the third-generation model will be domestically produced in 2015.
Netizen 1: I didn't expect the new Highlander to use the 2.0 T+6AT of the previous generation.
Netizen 2: Although this pair of 8AR 2.0T should be added to No. 95 oil, its comprehensive strength is very strong!
Netizen 3: Agree upstairs, 8AR is a hard-core engine that Lexus is using.
Netizen 4: It seems that the call for Toyota to launch a 2.0T pure fuel Highlander is quite high
Netizen 5: I feel that the Lexus TX is benchmarked against the QX60, Aviator, BMW X5, etc.
Netizen 6: Compared to the 2.0T new Highlander, I am more looking forward to the Lexus TX.