Toyota has announced its 2023 Highlander, which will now come with a turbocharged engine in place of its previous V6 gasoline engine. The Highlander will also continue to be available with a hybrid powertrain.
The 2023 model will also include Toyota Multimedia as standard equipment on all trims; dual 12.3-inch screens and power-folding mirrors on Limited and Platinum models; and more trims with a hands-free power liftgate.
The new engine is a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 310 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 17 per cent over the outgoing 3.5L V6’s rating of 263 lb-ft. Despite the extra torque, fuel consumption remains the same as the V6, at an estimated 9.8 L/100 km in combined driving. Toyota said it also has more than a 50 per cent reduction in harmful emissions gases and an improvement in CO2 emissions compared to the V6.
The turbocharged engine will be standard in all non-hybrid trim levels, and includes a start-stop system that shuts off the engine at idle, such as at a traffic light. Towing capacity with the new engine is a maximum of 5,000 lbs.
Limited and Platinum grades will be equipped with a glare-reducing 12.3-inch centre infotainment screen, along with a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster screen, which replaces the previous seven-inch TFT cluster. The XLE and XSE trims will come with an eight-inch centre touchscreen and the seven-inch TFT cluster, while the LE trim upgrades to the seven-inch cluster from a previous 4.2-inch TFT cluster.
The Highlander will continue to be offered with seven- or eight-passenger seating, and for 2023, the XLE and XSE trim levels add a hands-free power liftgate that was previously only on the Limited and Platinum. Pricing will be announced later this summer, and the vehicles will go on sale later this year.
Keyword: Toyota Highlander adds new turbocharged engine for 2023