4th Generation Toyota Highlander (and Grand Highlander) Thread

Gecko

Administrator
Messages
4,719
Reactions
11,278
Next participant in the TNGA rollout. Looking at this mule, it should be out pretty soon.

toyota-highlander-spy-photos-1.jpg


toyota-highlander-spy-photos-1.jpg


toyota-highlander-spy-photos-1.jpg


toyota-highlander-spy-photos-1.jpg


toyota-highlander-spy-photos-1.jpg


More pics: https://www.autoblog.com/2019/01/16/toyota-highlander-redesigned-spy-photos/#slide-7503231

Blacked out A-pillar is an interesting touch. Hard to make out much more, but I'll be interested to see this one going forward. Also see what looks to be a screen popping out of the dash.

I hear the design is more of an evulotuon than revolution, which is a good thing, IMO. The Highlander has always been one of my favorite looking CUVs.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

Moderator
Messages
1,529
Reactions
2,434
According to Carmaker1, the 4th-generation Highlander (Program Code 550B) enters production on November 25, 2019 and will go on sale in January/February 2020. Working backwards from that, it'll probably have its first public unveiling during the 2019 New York Auto Show (press days April 17 and 18)
 

ssun30

Expert
Messages
3,326
Reactions
7,418
So it seems the truck-like front fascia is now a theme in their crossover lineup. Shouldn't be a surprise because at one point they even thought about replacing their BoF line with an all transverse FWD-based crossovers.
 
Messages
77
Reactions
55
The front fascia reminds me of the tacoma for some reason. The way the vinyl was pulled back you can almost see what the front bumper will be.
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,510
Reactions
3,439
So it seems the truck-like front fascia is now a theme in their crossover lineup. Shouldn't be a surprise because at one point they even thought about replacing their BoF line with an all transverse FWD-based crossovers.

no they did not.

It is purely targeting the right market - it was developed late enough when trucks became popular again, so they made them more truck like looking.

Just like Q7 suffers car-wagon-line design because it was developed at the time when truck sales were down and customers were concerned about mpg. So now it looks like crap.
 

Motor

Expert
Messages
2,127
Reactions
3,146
I'm looking forward to the reveal, but those spy shots make it look like a stretched RAV4. RAV4 Plus, RAV4 MAX, RAV4 Pro...
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,510
Reactions
3,439
If Highlander starts production in July, then NY Auto show is certainly going to be the reveal.
 
Messages
1
Reactions
0
Maybe if it's true that this car will go into production, TNGA platform is definitely used. The sources show the spy shots are similar to RAV4 right?
If true, can't wait with the next New York Auto Show. And Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are certainly offered.
 

Gecko

Administrator
Messages
4,719
Reactions
11,278
Maybe if it's true that this car will go into production, TNGA platform is definitely used. The sources show the spy shots are similar to RAV4 right?
If true, can't wait with the next New York Auto Show. And Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are certainly offered.

It will definitely be TNGA-K with CarPlay and Android Auto. No doubt about it!
 
Messages
107
Reactions
71
Are we sure the next gen highlander is going to be shown at the New York auto show this month? I wonder if a new dynamic force engine of any kind will replace the gr V6. Also hoping the hybrid doesn’t get any less powerful so they could get price cheaper or it be more fuel efficient.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

Moderator
Messages
1,529
Reactions
2,434
I’m surprised Toyota hasn’t teased anything yet that the Highlander is coming to New York.
I am, too.

The closest thing to a teaser I've seen is this passage in the Toyota USA Newsroom's Q1 2019 TNMA Sales Conference Notes release:

Now in just a couple of weeks, hopefully we're going to see most of you, if not all of you, at the New York auto show where we're going to reveal something that customers have been asking us for and it's an announcement that you're just not going to want to miss.

Perhaps this coming week we'll see some sort of proper teaser in advance of the New York Auto Show's Toyota press conference on Wednesday 17 April at 9:10 AM Eastern time.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

Moderator
Messages
1,529
Reactions
2,434
Lexus also hasn’t said anything or tease.
Lexus isn't even hosting a press conference at the New York Auto Show. The most I'd expect to see there is the light midlife refresh for the 2020 RX, which Lexus apparently feels doesn't warrant a press conference. Or else the RX facelift may debut a few hours to a day earlier at Auto Shanghai.
 
Messages
107
Reactions
71
Lexus isn't even hosting a press conference at the New York Auto Show. The most I'd expect to see there is the light midlife refresh for the 2020 RX, which Lexus apparently feels doesn't warrant a press conference. Or else the RX facelift may debut a few hours to a day earlier at Auto Shanghai.
Well that sucks. They could at show a concept of a future vehicle such as next gen Is or Nx. So the end of this year and early next year is when Toyota and Lexus are going to show their group of new products.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

Moderator
Messages
1,529
Reactions
2,434
Well that sucks. They could at show a concept of a future vehicle such as next gen IS or NX. So the end of this year and early next year is when Toyota and Lexus are going to show their group of new products.
Looks that way. One minor consolation is that 2019, being an odd-numbered year, has an extra major A-list Fall auto show (Frankfurt, Tokyo and Los Angeles) versus even-numbered years (Paris and Los Angeles).

I'd add that some of the highly-anticipated 2021 model year Toyota and Lexus debuts may stretch into the late 2020 calendar year.
 
Messages
16
Reactions
24
Spankin' new here and this thread immediately caught my eye. My previous car was a '17 Highlander SE and I found it very disappointing. I'm surprised how often I see people talking about Highlanders on this (and the "other") Lexus forum... I'd have sworn I was an anomaly in going from a Highlander to an RX, but it seems that's (sort of) common?

From an MSRP stand-point the RX is a better value by comparison. The extra $10K gets you a LOT more. I never considered a Lexus, but after driving a service loaner (thinking that would be a good way to get in the price-range of the vehicles I was already shopping)... well, I couldn't UN-experience it. A couple test-drives and it reprogrammed my brain about value vs cost.

I could make a lengthy thread/post about what I don't like about the Highlanders up to now (maybe they're about to change dramatically and it'll be different)... I got a knot in my stomach every time I drove my Highlander. In under 2 years I had less than 8K miles on it... fortunately for me, that kept the trade-value so high that I was able to move-on.

Putting the RX directly next to the Highlander and popping the hoods, the engines look surprisingly similar. I don't understand how the Highlander can feel so slow and the RX can feel so fast? (even vehicle weights and engine performance specs are similar). It also doesn't make sense that on the 0-60 sites, they aren't that far apart. My Highlander drove like a dog. As long as I MASHED the pedal into the floor... I mean like I was intending to break the thing, it would feel "peppy" but only in a couple gears, and never from a stop... the RX is the total opposite, while it may not be the quickest car in this class, it FEELS like it's always wanting to go faster... I find myself letting up on the gas after the car starts moving... instead of pushing ever-harder until the pedal is nearly all the way down. In the Highlander cars were always pulling away from me at a light. In the RX it's the opposite.

This is just one of the many things that was driving me nuts about my Highlander. Having to lean FAR forward in the seat and make the long reach to the radio? Who came up with that? Compare that with sitting all the way back, reclined even, and able to control everything, not even just the radio, but EVERYTHING, from the spot your hand naturally rests?

I was just about to buy a 4R limited in an attempt to stay with Toyota, but have something fun to drive and more usable (apples to oranges I know), but tech-wise, it felt like such a compromise... and the driving experience (normal on-road stuff) wasn't as sluggish as the Highlander, but still felt archaic after driving a couple Lexi (lex-eye? plural of Lexus? :) I first drove the GX460... and with the sales events, those are within about $5K off a 4R limited that's TRYING to be nicer (running boards, etc) and still the Lexus gets you a crazy nice interior with major tech AND a V8 engine.

I'm thrilled to have stepped up to an RX... I'm very surprised how many people have an interest in both the Highlander and the RX.