2023 Toyota Highlander: Fewer Cylinders, New Entertainment

The Toyota Highlander is frequently America’s most effective-marketing midsize SUV (it dropped its crown by a nose to the Jeep Grand Cherokee last year in our calculations, however Toyota continues to promote it as the ideal-seller in its class). So, it is not broke. It does not have to have considerably repairing. All the identical, Toyota will tweak the Highlander for the 2023 model calendar year.

The headline transform is a new engine, and it is a little bit of a head-scratcher.

Toyota has dropped the common V6 from the Highlander lineup in favor of a turbocharged 4-cylinder motor. It presents 265 horsepower – 30 fewer than the outgoing 6-cylinder.

If you drove the two again to back again, you in all probability wouldn’t care. The new engine delivers 309 lb-ft of torque, so it must come to feel a bit additional powerful at neighborhood speeds. But, strangely, it is not additional fuel-efficient. The new motor will get specifically the identical 24 mpg merged as the old a single, Toyota suggests.

Highlander Hybrid styles get the very same 243-horsepower powertrain as what is at the moment presented. The Highlander Hybrid returns 36 mpg merged in front-wheel push (FWD) and 35 mpg with all-wheel generate (AWD).

There are no considerable exterior modifications. Inside of, it is a various tale.

Each trim amount will get a larger driver’s instrument screen. It is however smaller on the L and LE trims, at 7 inches. But the tiny 4.2-inch monitor of prior decades is long gone. Increased trims get a 12.3-inch show.

All Highlanders get a new infotainment process. It’s still just 8 inches on L and LE versions, but a 12.3-inch edition is optional for all those two and standard on higher trims. It operates the similar functioning method as the latest Lexus NX, incorporating normal language recognition, in excess of-the-air updates, and wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Car operation.

Designers also arrived to their senses and moved the optional wireless cell phone charging pad to a shelf in straightforward access, rather than hiding it in the center console.

Other modifications consist of a foot-activated electricity liftgate on XLE and XSE styles and power-folding mirrors on Constrained and Platinum editions.

Toyota has not introduced pricing for the 2023 Highlander. We don’t hope a substantial transform from 2022’s $35,855 starting rate.