Introduction
Lead
The price increase and the oil of the hybrid system have increased, but these still make the Toyota Highlander's reputation strong, the same in China and the United States.
Editor/Hongzu Hu said
In the epidemic in the past few days, there is a paragraph called "The atmosphere has been set off here, no XX is not OK." ”
In fact, the road is the same, in different fields, in different countries, everyone's cognition of things is similar. For example, Highlander is selling very well in China, and the price is not preferential for more than 10 years, and the price increase time is more than half. On the other side of the Pacific, the United States, too, Highlander sales are strong, the price is firm, and in recent years, a large number of recalls (involving ECUs, VSC, powertrains, safety, etc.) are also unable to stop people from buying.
Dealers in the United States have been forcing Toyota for many years, asking to build an SUV that is smaller in size than the Lexus LX and GX, larger than the Toyota Highlander, and can sit more comfortably for 7 people. The American automotive media has dug up a series of hypothetical maps of how this car will be built. Therefore, it is very likely that Highlander, which has always been firm in price, may continue to fly upwards.
Highlander lengthening? Lexus TX, what a car
What is the technology used in this car?
According to the current speculation of foreign media, Highlander will lengthen the wheelbase/length, and the TX trademark previously registered by Lexus will be very similar to the extended Toyota Highlander. In terms of technical architecture, it is expected to use the TNGA-K platform, and the current models using this architecture include Camry/Highlander/Velanda/RAV4 Rongfang. Relatively speaking, this platform has higher cost redundancy, allowing the use of more sound insulation materials, comfort materials, high-specification hardware for suspension chassis, etc. In contrast, the Corolla/Leiling TNGA-C platform plays a low-cost technology probe, such as after the hybrid system is on the car, the performance of the configuration can be higher than that of the previous generation (a large number of standard TSS security systems), and the hybrid system is loaded, and the price is not particularly expensive (Leiling double engine from 133,800).
Because Toyota's car-making path has always been jogging, the pace of iteration every time a new car is launched is not fast. Therefore, it is easy to deduce that it will also have a 2.5L naturally aspirated THS hybrid system, and the fuel engine is expected to have it in the US market. As for the middle market, the hybrid will definitely give, coupled with the recent rumors to give Highlander TNGA+2.0T news, to the Taiwan pure fuel version, it is not a hopeless thing.
Intelligent technology, don't expect too much, Toyota's localization in the world is not particularly leading level, and now in the European and American markets, it can achieve mainly online navigation and other functions. In the Chinese market, there are online navigation, online multimedia and other functions, but the use of voice control vehicles, even 5 years ago the first batch of Internet cars to do well, recognition is not accurate enough, the response is not fast enough, the operation is more troublesome, far worse than the mobile phone.
The next question is how much longer the wheelbase will be and how much more space will be in the car.
The speculation information of foreign media is very accurate, and the demand expression of American car sellers is also very accurate, that is, they want one, the size is between the Lexus GX (currently discontinued in China) and the Lexus LX, and they want an SUV that is larger than the Highlander and can ride 7 people better. Well, based on this, you can generally judge how much the Highlander is lengthened, and how big the Lexus TX is.
The length, width, height and wheelbase dimensions of Lexus NX are 4660*1865*1660mm and wheelbase of 2690mm, respectively;
Lexus RX 7-seat version of the length, width and height + wheelbase size, respectively, 5000 *1895 * 1720mm, wheelbase 2790mm;
The length, width and height + wheelbase size of the Lexus GX, which has been discontinued in China, are 4880*1885*1885mm and wheelbase of 2790mm;
The length, width and height + wheelbase dimensions of Lexus LX are 5150*1980*1910mm and wheelbase 2850mm, respectively;
The Chinese market has just replaced the Toyota Highlander size, 4965 * 1930 * 1750mm, wheelbase 2850mm, the American version because there are 7-8 seat options, in the body length, width and height, and the Chinese version has certain nuances, but not much.
In summary, the lengthening space of The Highlander is actually not very large. For example, in terms of body length, all it can do is to reach or slightly exceed the level of Lexus RX, that is, lengthen a few centimeters. The room for improvement in body width is not large, because the current 7-seater version of the horizontal width is not bad, reaching the Near 2 meter level of the Lexus LX, which will make the car bulky and thus less suitable for driving in the city. The height of the body is basically the same as the width of the body.
There are some articles that the wheelbase can do, such as upgrading the data from 2850mm to more than 2900mm, increasing the data of 5cm, coupled with the special arrangement of the seat, adding 5-7 cm to the legroom of the third row, or even more, which is actually not a big problem. Volkswagen's Tuang did just that, pulling a previously planned MQB platform for the most B-class cars to close to full-size data (5-meter-class car length, 3-meter wheelbase), and also selling the same wind and water. TNGA's manufacturing capacity is naturally stronger than MQB, because the design intention of the Volkswagen Group is to directly distinguish between models above C level to MLB, rather than MQB.
That, the next thing to see if Toyota is willing to give, dare to add more than 50mm wheelbase, dare not make a fuss about the length, width, and height of the body, because once it does this, many other models within the entire company will be implicated, and the positioning portrait of the product will be reorganized.
For example, the Lexus TX is coming, only a little larger than the Lexus RX in three-dimensional size, but the wheelbase is much larger, what about the Lexus RX. For another example, although the coverage of the Toyota brand's SUV product line is not high, highlander has become GRAND HIGHLANDER after being extended, which is also relatively different from Toyota products with close positioning. However, once Highlander is so big, because the SUV has a strong use coverage, then what should toyota saina these cars do.
However, these 2 cars, the probability is still coming
There are many problems, but foreign media judge that it is still coming. Because, this reflects the needs of consumers, the needs of car dealers, and Toyota's own operations.
Unlike China's 4S dealer system, American car dealers are a tougher presence in front of car companies. Because, the profit model is different. China's 4S store system is a chain of common interests that car companies and 4S stores bundle into. 4S shop wants to join, you have to do according to the car company said, the car company out of a small part of the money, 4S shop out of most of the money, to complete the establishment of the store, and then the sales sold enough of the car company set the goal, and then to the 4S store corresponding rebate.
The dealer system in the United States (there is also a franchise model, but the more dominant is another), they and the car company is the relationship between the buyer and the seller, the dealer after reading the new products of the car company, determine their basic purchase volume, and then sell the car to consumers, equivalent to the contracting system, the enterprise has limited ability to intervene in it.
One is the franchise system, the other is the contracting system, that dealers and enterprises want new products, naturally found business opportunities, found that this new car is better to sell, so put forward new requirements.
Toyota's own operation is that it has recently registered the trademark of GRAND HIGHLANDER, and Lexus has registered and filed the trademark related to TX for the third time since 2020.
So, although Toyota is refuting rumors, it does not have any clear plans and products at present, and you guess I don't know if it is right. However, the actual operation behavior has proved that it is indeed studying this matter.
Then, the next key question is again, if it is really brought to the market as expected, how much does this car sell for, can it or should it be bought?
Foreign media expect that the new car will be released in 2023, which is smaller in size than the Lexus LX and larger than the existing Highlander.
Based on these, it is a more robust speculation that the GRAND HIGHLANDER price will rise on the current basis of the Highlander, approaching the Lexus RX.
The price of the Lexus TX is a fog, because the current price of the Lexus RX is originally a fog.
The price range of the fuel version is 400,000-600,000, and the price range of the hybrid version is 650,000-800,000. Although they all hang the name of the Lexus RX, the price of fuel low and hybrid high is doubled. Therefore, it is actually difficult to speculate on the price of Lexus TX.
How much will the Highlander sell if it is extended?
At present, the entry price of Highlander in the Chinese market is 26.88-34.88 million yuan, and the entry version of the hybrid two-wheel drive is actually not much higher than the compact top match (RAV4 Rongfang dual engine four-wheel drive guidance price of 259,800), of course, there is no four-wheel drive it, it does have the ability to deal with complex road conditions, and the performance is relatively general. The four-wheel drive entry version costs 285,800 yuan, which is not too expensive in relative terms.
What makes consumers feel expensive is mainly the brand rather than the product power, because of the brand. Because the terminal price of the Cadillac XT5 is often lower than that of the Highlander, the terminal price of the Audi Q5L is not much higher than that of the Highlander.
Of course, these are actually not too big a problem, Highlander's current price is not cheap for many people, but it still can't stand the occurrence of monthly sales after the replacement.
Naturally, if GRAND HIGHLANDER really comes, the price is set between 350,000-450,000, the market is large enough, after all, the Lexus RX's fuel is low and no one buys it, and more than 350,000, there is basically no overlap in the existing price range of Highlander.
Write at the end:
Of course, the above is only a reasonable speculation based on the existing facts. Toyota has not yet revealed the relevant information about how grand highlander and Lexus TX are going to be built, but the media and dealers have been very anxious, taking the lead in holding back and releasing the possibility.
So, will it increase the price? The answer, most likely yes.
You may think that such a high price, and the actual technology, cost increase may not be large, then Toyota's money-making space is there, enough to increase the price. However, in recent years, Toyota has increased its price and Highlander's price increase, but it is not because Toyota cannot make money, but because dealers want to make more money.
They can make more money, relying on the unequal relationship between supply and demand, Highlander's current direct opponent is actually only volkswagen Tuang, but Tuang is a big hit, larger body size and larger space, which also leads to some inconvenience in urban use.
GRAND HIGHLANDER this kind of car really came out, in fact, directly to the luxury brand mid-level car pressure, the price is almost the case, it is larger, it has hybrid, it can sit 7 people, the ideal ONE is how in the more than 300,000 SUV market fire, this new car actually has a lot of space.
Well, the problem comes, when the Toyota Prado, in the hands of this advantage, the price will not drop, basically the 4S shop is not worried about selling, but it is a hardcore off-road vehicle, the number of people to buy is still relatively small. So, Toyota's opportunities are great and not equal, and that is not what it is possible to continue to increase the price.