MOTORING REVIEW: Highlander is big, comfy and stylish

TOYOTA'S seven-seater Highlander is the Japanese carmaker’s largest hybrid SUV. By Irish standards, this car is huge, at 4.85m long it's longer than a RAV4. It offers comfort, driveability and low emissions from its hybrid powertrain. All Highland models have All-Wheel-Drive. The engine is powerful enough to pull a 2-tonne trailer.

My car looked swell in its Tokyo Red colour with contrasting privacy glass, chrome along the base of the side windows, and silver roof rails that show off the long length of the car. The big 20-inch alloys set off the sides of the car to perfection.

A high car permits ease of getting in and out (large doors also help in this regard) as well as providing good all-round visibility. I was able to get a lovely driving position and found the elevated seating allowed a view of the whole road, aided by thin A-pillars which are a feature of Toyota cars. Front and rear parking sensors help with parking this very large vehicle as does the 360 deg bird’s eye view camera.

The cabin offers a comfortable and stylish environment with very nice fit and finish throughout. Large leather seats hold you in well and offer good support. Front ones have power adjustments. The driver’s adds lumbar adjustment and has two memory seat settings, so no arguments if the car is being shared. Front seats can be heated and ventilated.

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Those seated in the middle row enjoy really good head and legroom. The two outer seats can be heated and people seated in this row have their own temperature controls and air flow. These seats (a two-seater bench and a single seat) can slide forward to allow easy access to the two rearmost adult-sized seats. They can also fold forward. Pull on the toggles in the boot to raise the two back seats which can be moved back further to allow for more legroom if required.

The power tailgate opens to reveal a gigantic 658 litres of boot space in a five seat configuration with extra underfloor storage for the tonneau cover when all seats are in use. Boot space can be expanded to a whopping 1,909 litres by fully folding the third and second rows of seats with the front two seats only in use. Door bins are on the small side but there’s a very big area below the front armrest, another area in front of the gears and a decent glovebox.

The 8-inch multimedia screen shows all the information you would need from navigation to your favourite playlist. However, I feel the graphics let it down somewhat. There are buttons below the screen for temperature, front seat heating and ventilation. I always appreciate a Head Up Display, front and rear sensors and good blind spot cover. There are two C-USB sockets and a larger one in the front beside a 12V socket, and two more in the rear.

Grades in Ireland are Sol and Platinum, the latter being my review car. While the entry level comes with good specification, Platinum adds a Head Up Display, and a Panoramic roof that can tilt open. The latest Toyota Safety Sense system includes a set of high-end active safety technologies designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of scenarios including a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

Highlander is powered by a 2.5 four-cylinder petrol hybrid engine with front and rear electric motors, and is matched to automatic transmission. The total system output is 244hp combined with C02 emissions of 146g/km and a rated 6.6 L/100kms (43mpg: WLTP cycle). During my lengthy time with the car, and with just one other adult onboard, the trip computer showed returns of 8.9 L/100kms (32mpg) and even up to 9.2 (31mpg) which is quite a long way off the WLTP forecast.

Highlander offers a quiet and comfortable ride, and the low centre of gravity, with the battery located below the middle row seats, allows for very good road holding. You hardly feel gear changes. The car takes 7.7 seconds to accelerate from 0-100km/h, which is respectable. You can select from Eco, Normal, Sport or Trail driving modes, the last a special AWD programme for bumpy roads. EV mode lets the car run exclusively on battery power when driving in an urban area at night, in almost silence. Competitors include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008.

Highlander has a standard 3 years / 100,000kms warranty.

The entry grade is priced from €82,090; Platinum from €87,600.