Toyota is, for the first time, to offer the Highlander SUV for sale across Europen territories. The Toyota Highlander is primarily made and sold for Japanese, Australian and USA markets with limited availability in Russia. The fourth-generation Highlander is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture which first debuted on the new generation Camry. The Highlander was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show on 17 April 2019. The introduction of the Highlander to European markets is designed to expand Toyota’s product strategy.

The Highlander joins the RAV4, C-HR and the newly revamped Yaris which has now morphed into a compact SUV. The Highlander enjoys big sales in America and will share the identical powertrain currently used in the RAV4, a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder hybrid petrol (gasoline) engine. Two electric motors boost combined power output to 241bhp. 

As with all hybrid vehicles, energy is recuperated from braking energy, that braking energy is stored in a nickel-metal hydride battery. This allows the Highlander to achieve a combined fuel economy of 40mpg. Bigger than the RAV4, the vehicle will offer an optional row of seats allowing to accommodate two extra rear passengers.

The boot space is bigger than a BMW X5, which gives you an indication of how big the Highlander is. Pricing and specifications for the UK market are yet to be confirmed. At a rough guestimate, we expect entry-level prices to start from around £37,000 GBP. The Toyota Highlander is scheduled to go on retail sale in the UK at the beginning of 2021.