Toyota Highlander BEV debuts – fifth-generation three-row SUV drops petrol, hybrid; up to 512 km range est

Toyota has unveiled the latest Highlander SUV, and the manufacturer’s latest SUV enters its fifth generation exclusively with a battery-electric powertrain, succeeding the outgoing Highlander and Grand Highlander which were powered by petrol and petrol-electric hybrid powertrains.

According to Toyota, this is the brand’s first three-row battery-electric vehicle to be offered to the United States market, and Toyota’s first BEV to be assembled in America, at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky, while its batteries are made in Toyota’s newly-opened battery assembly plant in Liberty, North Carolina.

Built on a modified version of the manufacturer’s TNGA-K platform, the Highlander has been designed to house its drive battery while maximising cabin space. For management of noise and vibrations, the fifth-generation SUV gets noise-absorbing material on the front and rear door trims, front pillars, wheel wells, roof and underfloor, along with acoustic glass for the windscreen and front side windows.

In terms of external dimensions, the fifth-generation SUV measures 5,050 mm long, 1,989 mm wide and 1,709 mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,050 mm. Inside, luggage capacity is 450 litres with the third-row seats upright, and up to 1,291 litres with the third-row seats folded.

The fifth-generation Highlander for the US market is offered in single-motor FWD and dual-motor AWD powertrain configurations with two battery sizes (76.96 kWh and 95.82 kWh), along with two trim levels, XLE and Limited.

Single-motor, front-wheel-drive powertrain variants are rated to produce 221 hp and 268 Nm, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions produce 338 hp and 438 Nm. Rolling stock ranges in size from 19 inches to 22 inches in diameter, depending on variant.

The base XLE FWD offering with the 76.96 kWh battery gets an estimated 287 mile (459 km) range, while the XLE AWD with the 95.82 kWh battery has an estimated 270 mile (432 km range) range; the XLE AWD and Limited AWD both get the 95.8 kWh battery, and both have an estimated 320 mile (512 km) range.

Being a product for the North American market, the battery-electric Highlander is specified with a North American Charging System (NACS) charging port. DC charging at an unspecified rate brings a 10-80% recharge in around 30 minutes, according to Toyota, while AC charging is supported at up to 11 kW. Conversely, the fifth-generation Highlander also features V2L to supply external electrical appliances.

For driving assistance systems, the Highlander BEV gets the TSS 4.0 iteration of the Toyota Safety Sense suite, which is comprised of pre-collision systems with pedestrian detection, full speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beam, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and proactive driving assist.

Further active safety equipment includes stability control, traction control, EBD, brake assist, ABS, tyre pressure monitoring, hill start assist, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, panoramic view monitor, Advanced Park, blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert.

Infotainment is a 14-inch touchscreen unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and simultaneous dual Bluetooth phone connectivity, while audio starts with a six-speaker setup, and an 11-speaker JBL Premium Audio system on higher trim variants.

The driver gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, while the seats are upholstered in Softex. There are heated front seats and steering wheel, the latter also with shift paddles to control the level of regenerative braking. 64-colour ambient lighting is standard, while a head-up display is available on selected variants.

For exterior colours, the latest Highlander is offered in Spellbound, Wind Chill Pearl, Heavy Metal, Everest, Reservoir Blue, and Midnight Black Metallic, the first four also offered in a two-tone scheme with a black roof. Built in Georgetown, Kentucky for the North American market, the fifth-generation Toyota Highlander is expected to go on sale in the US in the later part of this year.

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