Its now Toyota’s turn to bring something new to
the mid-size SUV segment, and testing on the all-new Highlander, as you can
see, is well under way. Despite its heavy, and weird-looking camouflage, this prototype isn’t
being quite as mysterious as Toyota might have hoped. For instance, we can
still see the silhouette of the rear end, as well as that of the front fascia.
The 2020 Highlander also appears to have grown in size, compared to the current
iteration.
After staring at the front end for a while now, we
believe that Toyota have applied a similar design language as they have to the
2019 RAV4 crossover, meaning there’s a hexagonal grille hiding somewhere underneath
there, as well as fog lamps positioned out wide towards the wheel arch. The position of the headlights
also appears indicative of the RAV4, as do the re-positioned mirrors, which are
now on the doors instead of the side windows.
Meanwhile, the distance between the rear wheel arch
and the far end of the tailgate is what tells us that the all-new Highlander
has grown in size, which will surely make things easier for third-row
passengers, regardless of configuration. As for the rear end design, the
outer edges of the taillights are still protruding, like on the current model,
although the light cluster design and graphics could be quite different as far
as anyone knows.
In terms of on-board tech and power units, we expect
Toyota to focus their efforts on modern active safety and connectivity
features, making sure the 2020 Highlander doesn’t lose ground to its main
rivals. The current model already comes with Lane Departure Alert, Automatic
High Beams, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and a Pedestrian Pre-Collision System,
among others.
The engine range should include a couple of petrol
options, as well as a hybrid power train. Toyota will probably unveil the
new Highlander either by the end of this year or in early 2020.
