The history of the creation of the Toyota Highlander. Dimensions of Toyota Highlander - one of the leaders in maintaining residual value

The Toyota Highlander is a mid-size crossover, one of a family of cars that are built on the Camry platform. The car enjoys well-deserved popularity and is considered by drivers as a worthy budget analogue to the Lexus RX station wagon. The history of creation begins back in 2000.

The model begins its journey at the New York Auto Show, which took place in the early 2000s. In the land of the rising sun, Highlander is known by another name - Toyota Kluger (translated from German as “reasonable”).

The United States is still the best place to sell this model. Under the name Kluger, the car was sold not only in Japan, but also in Australia. The first generation came in a 5-door or 7-door version. In all countries where the crossover was sold, both options were available. The base unit for all countries was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which worked together with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Since 2003, in America, the car began to be offered with a six-cylinder engine from the 3MZ-FE series, the volume of which was 3.3 liters and 230 horsepower.

In Japan, the engine power was reduced - their version came with a 220-horsepower engine. In the fall of 2004, the world saw a hybrid subspecies of the Toyota Highlander, which came with a 3.3-liter V6 engine. The hybrid electric motor produced 270 horsepower. Since the launch of the car into production, two versions of the Toyota Highlander have been offered - front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive vehicles were equipped with a special transmission. In the US, sales broke all records. Between 2000 and 2007, 800 thousand copies of the Toyota Highlander were sold.

The emergence of the second and third generations

The second generation Toyota Highlander was again built on the Camry platform, but only with simplified all-wheel drive. This Toyota appeared before drivers in 2007 at the Chicago Auto Show. What has changed since the appearance of the long-awaited second generation of “highlanders”? First of all, the dimensions have increased:

• From 4684 mm the car stretched to 4785 mm;
• Width increased from 1826 to 1910 mm;
• The Highlander grew in height to 1760 mm;
• The wheelbase has become 2790 millimeters (previously it was 2715).

Buyers could choose a 5-seat or 7-seat version of the Highlander. Single-wheel drive modifications of the crossover have not gone away, as have hybrid versions (it was possible to switch from a 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine to a 3.5-liter unit). The hybrid engine once again bypassed the CIS countries and delighted only residents on the other side of the ocean.

A weaker Toyota Highlander with a 2.7-liter engine (189 horsepower) and a 6-speed automatic transmission was also sold in the States. And instead of the V6 3.0 liter and V6 3.3 engines on the first generation Highlanders, which produced up to 225 horsepower, a new V6 3.5 engine appeared, which had a power of 270 horsepower. Production of the second-generation car was launched not only in the homeland of the Toyota Highlander, but also in China and the States, which remained the main market for the model. During the period from 2007 to 2012, more than 500 thousand Toyota Highlanders were sold.

Toyota Highlander II (2010 facelift)

In 2012, Toyota announced a reduction in the cost of the Highlander model range for the Russian market. And in fact, the price dropped by almost 200 thousand rubles. This gift from the Japanese was received thanks to the removal of a number of options from the standard equipment of the Toyota Highlander: three-zone climate control, leather seat trim, third row, roof rails.

Third generation Highlander

The third generation of Toyota Highlander was presented in the spring of 2013 at the New York Auto Show. The model is equipped with engines with a power of 249 and 188 horsepower, which have a volume of 3.5 and 2.7 liters. Only Highlander gasoline units are presented on the domestic market. The engine is paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The maximum speed of the weakest modification is 180 km/h, and acceleration to 100 kilometers is 8.2 seconds.

Bottom line

The car still pleases drivers today; it confidently occupies the highest places in the sales rankings. The Japanese are determined to sell 11,000 copies of the crossover this year. And this is quite real, because the story of Highlander is not over yet.

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This mid-size crossover debuted in Japan in 2000 under the name, and a year later the car entered the American market as the Highlander. The name "Kluger" was also used in Australia.

The car, created on the platform of the model, had a monocoque body, an independent rear suspension and could not boast of outstanding off-road capabilities. The crossover was equipped with 2.4 (155 hp) and V6 3.0 (220 hp) gasoline engines, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Buyers were offered versions with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and the car could have five or seven seats in the cabin.

In 2004, the previous six-cylinder engine was replaced with a new volume of 3.3 liters and a power of 225 hp. With. Such cars were already equipped with five-speed automatic transmissions. In 2005, a hybrid version of the Highlander went on sale, equipped with a 3.3-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor.

2nd generation (XU40), 2008–2013

In 2007, there was a generation change in the Toyota Highlander model. Its analogue under the name remained only in Australia; sales of the model on the Japanese market were discontinued. In addition to the American market, the Highlander was also sold in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and China.

The crossover was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 270 hp. With. paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, as well as a hybrid power plant with a 3.3-liter “six” (later replaced by a 3.5-liter) and an electric motor. In 2008, a new basic version appeared with a 2.7 four-cylinder engine (188 horsepower), front-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.

In 2010, the model was restyled, giving the car a different “facial expression,” and deliveries of the crossover to Russia and Ukraine began at the same time. We were supplied with a Toyota Highlander with a V6 3.5 engine (273 hp), a five-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and a seven-seater interior. Prices for the car started at about 1.6 million rubles.

In 2013, production of Highlanders at factories in Japan and the USA (the model began to be produced there in 2009) ended.

(2007-2013);

There are now two petrol engines in the Highlander line: a revised 3.5-liter engine and a new 2.7-liter. Price – from 1,760,000 rubles, which is 70 thousand rubles. more expensive than the starting price of the previous generation model. The "third" Toyota Highlander, introduced in 2013 in New York, received a new silhouette with chrome accents, a trapezoidal grille, new LED low-beam headlights and daytime running lights, and a power tailgate with memory function for several height options. , chrome moldings and 19-inch wheels. The interior of the new Toyota Highlander has become more spacious and functional. The comfort of the driver and passengers is facilitated by an intelligent system for accessing the car and starting the engine by pressing the Smart Entry & Push Start button, 3-zone climate control, memory settings for the driver's seat with adjustable popliteal support, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and the steering wheel together with an improved Toyota Touch 2 multimedia system with an 8-inch screen diagonal. According to the brand's press service, access to the third row of seats has become much easier due to a new transformation system that allows you to move the second row seats on the driver and passenger side with one movement. The seats in the second and third rows fold in a 60/40 ratio. The trunk of the model has also become more spacious. The new Toyota Highlander is available in Russia with two types of gasoline engines (2.7 liters and 3.5 liters) and in two trim levels: “Elegance” and “Prestige”. A car with a 3.5 liter engine in the “Prestige” configuration can also be equipped with the “Lux” package, which includes a wide range of innovative options. Both power units are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. The price of the new generation Toyota Highlander is from 1,760,000 to 2,138,000 rubles, depending on the level of equipment.

The third Toyota Highlander is a typical child of its time, possessing a great variety of talents - it is chosen for: aggressive appearance, interior space, good cross-country ability, rich equipment and the famous “surname” (cars of this brand are famous for their unpretentiousness and reliability)... In addition, it a wonderful family man - this is perhaps the most accurate description of this big car.

In its third generation, the Highlander made its debut in the spring of 2013 at the New York Auto Show - compared to its predecessor, it has noticeably matured and poised, acquired new engines and transmissions, and also received much richer functionality.

In March 2016, in the same Big Apple, the premiere of the restyled version of this mid-size crossover took place - its main acquisitions were: a redesigned appearance, a modernized V6, a new eight-range gearbox and an expanded list of equipment.

Externally, the third generation Highlander is a real alpha male: its appearance is brutal and complete, but at the same time not too flashy and moderately modern. The car is most aggressive when viewed from the front - the credit for this goes to the “squinted” headlights and the huge “grill” of the radiator grille, reaching to the lower edge of the bumper. But from other angles it looks no worse: a powerful silhouette with a pronounced relief of the sidewalls and rounded square wheel arches and a harmonious “loin” part with high-mounted expressive lights, cut glass and a neat bumper.

The “third” Toyota Highlander is a very large crossover: the length of the “Japanese” is 4890 mm, and its height and width are 1770 mm and 1925 mm, respectively. The wheelbase of the SUV reaches 2790 mm, and the ground clearance is 200 mm. Depending on the modification, the five-door in “combat” condition weighs from 1880 to 2205 kg.

The interior of the crossover “plays” in unison with the exterior - it looks masculine: non-trivial, sweeping and a little rude. In addition, the inside of the car captivates with the neat fit of all elements, impeccable ergonomics without any punctures and high-quality finishing materials (nice plastics, metal and wood-look inserts, genuine leather). The front panel has a complex but interesting architecture, and in the central part there is an 8-inch “TV” of the multimedia system and a visual “microclimate” unit with its own display and large switches. A very large multifunctional steering wheel and a nice, not overloaded with information instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch display between analogue dials fit harmoniously into the overall picture.

The front seats of the Toyota Highlander offer an American-style imposing, but quite comfortable fit, a bunch of various electrical adjustments, heating and ventilation. Passengers in the middle row have the opportunity to adjust the sofa in the longitudinal direction and the level of backrest tilt, but the idyll is disrupted by its flat profile. The “gallery” is frankly cramped: maximum children of middle school age can fit here comfortably.

The cargo compartment of the Highlander in its third incarnation ranges from 269 to 2370 liters, and when both rear rows of seats are folded, an almost flat floor is formed. In addition to this, it also has an underground niche where the necessary tools are stored. The “dokatka”, included in the initial package of the SUV, is fixed under the bottom.

Specifications. On the Russian market, for the “third” Toyota Highlander, there is only one possible power unit - the engine compartment of the car is “filled” with a gasoline V-shaped “aspirated” engine with a volume of 3.5 liters (3456 cubic centimeters) with direct injection, an intake tract of variable length, and a 32-valve timing belt. and a gas distribution mechanism at the inlet and outlet.

It produces a maximum of 249 “horses” at 5000-6600 rpm and 356 Nm of torque at 4700 rpm, and works in conjunction with an 8-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive technology.

In normal mode, most of the traction goes to the front wheels, but if necessary, the electronically controlled JTEKT multi-plate clutch connects the rear axle, directing up to 50% of the torque to it.

On hard surfaces the car feels more than confident: it rushes from zero to the first “hundred” in 8.8 seconds, accelerates to maximum speed up to 180 km/h and “drinks” about 9.5 liters of fuel in combined conditions.

In other markets, the Highlander 3 can also be purchased in a front-wheel drive version equipped with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine (188 horsepower and 252 Nm of generated torque) and in a hybrid version with a 3.5-liter V6, three electric motors and lithium-ion batteries (280 “stallions” and 337 Nm).

The third generation Toyota Highlander is based on a “stretched trolley” from the Camry sedan with a longitudinally located power unit, a monocoque body in which high-strength steels are widely used, and an independent front suspension with McPherson struts. A multi-link system is installed on the rear axle of the car (transverse stabilizers are used “in a circle”), borrowed from the Lexus RX.
The crossover has ventilated disc brakes both front and rear, working together with ABS, EBD and other modern electronics, and its steering complex is represented by a rack and pinion transmission and an electric power steering.

Options and prices. In 2017, the third generation restyled Highlander was offered on the Russian market in three versions: Elegance, Prestige and Luxury Safety.

• For the first one, the minimum asking price is 3,226,000 rubles, and its functionality includes: six airbags, 19-inch wheel rims, light and rain sensors, electric tailgate, keyless entry system, ABS, EBD, BAS, cruise control, VSC, rear parking sensors, the ERA-GLONASS system, six-speaker music, a multimedia complex with a 6.1-inch screen, a rearview camera, leather interior trim and a three-zone climate control system. In addition, the starting version includes: heated front and rear seats, electrically heated steering wheel and windshield in the windshield wiper rest area, ISOFIX fastenings and some other equipment.
• For the intermediate configuration you will have to pay at least 3,374,000 rubles, and in addition it “shows off”: a more advanced infotainment center with an 8-inch display, blind spot tracking technology, a navigator, electric drive and ventilation of the front seats, side sun curtains for second occupants row, etc.
• The “top” modification costs from 3,524,000 rubles, and its privileges are: adaptive cruise control, four panoramic cameras, a premium JBL audio system with 12 speakers, front parking sensors, as well as road marking monitoring systems and road sign recognition , monitoring driver fatigue and warning of the threat of a frontal collision.