Bay Harbour: January 26, 2022

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday January 26 2022 Bay Harbour News 17
Highlander hybrid worth the wait
I WAS LOOKING forward to a
Toyota Highlander hybrid drive
with much enthusiasm.
The fact it was delayed due to
the most recent Covid-19 lockdown
made the wait much longer
and only served to heighten the
anticipation.
That may seem like an odd
statement for someone who has
often admitted it took some time
to warm to the hybrid concept,
but Toyota’s most recent technology
and the inclusion of the
Highlander into the hybrid programme
here is most intriguing.
It’s no surprise that has happened,
Toyota has long offered
hybrid options in most of its
domestic market models, and
the Highlander, even though it is
sourced from the United States, is
no exception.
Toyota New Zealand has just
landed a new Highlander. I
evaluated the model most buyers
would relate to in the past – the
naturally-aspirated petrol V6
variant – in these columns in
October. This evaluation focuses
on a high grade hybrid Limited,
it comes in at $66,990, an extra
$3k over the Limited V6. Bear
in mind that there are three
hybrid models and two V6s, the
entry-level GXL hybrid starts at
$63,990 and finishes at $74,990
for the ZR variant.
If there is one car that has
changed my perception on hybrids
it would be Toyota’s Camry
of the late-2000s onwards, it just
seemed so normal to drive and
if you didn’t look at the energy
consumption gauges you would
hardly tell there was a hybrid
driveline under the bonnet. Bear
in mind as well, it is much the
same driveline that is fitted to
Toyota’s ever-popular RAV4 and
several Lexus models.
The Highlander hybrid is one
smart piece of kit. Of course, the
fact it is a seven-seat sport utility
vehicle hasn’t been compromised,
it is a big car and welcomes its
occupants in family-friendly
manner, and if you have the rear
row of seats folded flat there’s a
cavernous load carrying area.
Of course, in Limited specification
the Highlander is loaded
with goodies, it is plush with its
leather trim (heated front seats),
satellite navigation, keyless entry
and ignition, radar cruise control
and electric tailgate. It also shares
a five-star Australasian New Car
Assessment Program safety rating.
Toyota’s hybrid driveline hasn’t
changed much in concept since
it first arrived in Prius, of course,
development over the years has
meant is has become far more
adaptable, more powerful, more
economical and the petrol/electric
process far more seamless.
Effectively there are three
petrol combinations for Toyota’s
hybrid series – its Yaris Cross gets
a 1.5-litre petrol engine, the Prius
as we have known it from day one
INFORMATIVE: Comprehensive display graphics are well
integrated into the centre dash.
TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID: The Limited model is joined by two other hybrid variants
starting at $63,990 and ending $74,990.
gets a 1.8-litre engine along with
Corolla and CH-R, the RAV4,
Camry and Highlander all have
a 2.5-litre petrol engine. All are
hooked to the Synergy Drive system
that effectively is what makes
it a hybrid.
One of the reasons I was fascinated
with the Highlander hybrid
concept was through wondering
if the combined output would
be enough to transport the big
vehicle and a load of occupants
without struggling. Well, I’m
pleased to report even with a kerb
weight of just over two-tonne and
a full load, the Highlander drives
without feeling burdened.
Toyota claims power outputs
of 142kW and 242Nm from the
2487cc petrol engine, add in all of
the power from the front and rear
motors and you’ll find the outputs
are more than satisfactory.
Yes, the Highlander hybrid has
two electric motors, one which
works normally like it would in
two-wheel-drive hybrids, the other
sits over the rear axle providing
drive so that a traditional Highlander
buyer would keep in touch
with an all-wheel-drive set-up.
It works well, I didn’t tackle any
off-road tracks, but I did drive
it in trail mode on a winding
shingle road near Coalgate to get
a feel of the system maintaining
grip on a loose surface. There was
never a point where I could feel
it working any differently to any
traditional SUV of this type with
• Price – Toyota Highlander
hybrid Limited, $66,990
• Dimensions – Length,
4950mm; width, 1930mm;
height, 1730mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
2487cc, 142kW (+42kW),
242Nm, continuously
variable automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
9.5sec
• Fuel usage – 5.6l/100km
just petrol power and standard
four-wheel-drive modes.
On the seal there is a feel that
power is just transferring out the
front, but that is something you
really have feel for and under
normal driving conditions I’d say
it’s very difficult to detect.
The Highlander handles little
differently to that of its big V6
stablemate, it leans a little in a
corner due to its height (1.7m),
but movement over the suspension
is stable and controlled. The
spring and damper rates are a
good compromise between what
is needed for cross-country travel
and maintaining composure
when a tight corner is presented.
As much as the Highlander
hybrid clings to its grass roots
design, it excels in an area where
you wouldn’t think imaginable
from a big SUV – that is fuel
economy. The standard V6 is
now rated with an 8.8-litre per
100km combined cycle figure,
that is about what you expect
from a 3.5-litre petrol engine.
The hybrid, on the other hand,
is rated by Toyota at 5.6l/100km.
That’s easily achievable, when
I took the test car back to the
dealership after 250km, the dash
panel readout was registering a
7l/100km figure.
That was a good result and one
that came easily, I didn’t drive the
evaluation car any differently to
that of its stablemate, I ushered
in acceleration vividly when
needed and drove to my normal
parameters which generally aren’t
that fuel thrifty. On that subject,
the hybrid doesn’t lose out much
in acceleration, it will scamper
to 100km/h in 9sec, about1sec
slower than the V6.
The talk around hybrids at the
moment is the Government’s
Clear Car Programme discount
on plug-in vehicles. Of course,
the Highlander hybrid is not
a plug-in so it doesn’t qualify,
which to my way of thinking
is a little nonsensical, if the
Government is serious about
getting new car buyers thinking
about fuel efficiency then all
hybrids should be in the mix for a
discount.
Nevertheless, the Highlander
hybrid is a giant step in Toyota’s
hybrid programme, it will most
certainly make a big impression
in the Kiwi market.