Toyota launching seven-seat Highlander in the UK

The Toyota Highlander is a seven-seater SUV that's been available elsewhere in the world for two decades now. Now Toyota has its sights set on the UK market for early 2021. The new Highlander SUV is expected to start in the region of £32,000.

The 2021 Highlander is Toyota’s largest SUV and will compete against the likes of the SEAT Tarraco, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.

The Highlander will be offered exclusively as a four-wheel drive hybrid with a 2.5-litre petrol engine linked to an electronic motor and CVT gearbox to generate 244PS. WLTP CO2 emissions will be 146g/km with 42.8mpg official fuel economy. 

The Toyota Highlander measures 4950mm long (about the same as a Land Rover Discovery), offers All-Wheel Drive, 20-inch alloy wheels and a two-tonne towing capacity. 

There's 658-litres of boot space, which extends to 1909 litres with the second and third row of seats folded flat. There’s underfloor storage space, too.

Premium equipment includes head-up display, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, ventilated front seats and a digital rear-view mirror. Details of UK specifications and pricing will be announced nearer the time of launch.

A Drive Mode Select system will let drivers switch between Eco, Normal, Sport and Trail modes. The Highlander also features an EV mode, which allows the SUV to run on electric power alone for short periods of time. 

The new Highlander is equipped with a Pre-Collision System with active steer assist. Other features include full-range Adaptive Cruise Control with Road Sign Assist, Lane Departure Alert and Lane Tracing Assist.