Toyota Highlander test drive since 2008 SUV
Grey Cardinal
Toyota Highlander: A newcomer from AmericaIn large crossovers, the domestic buyer has not experienced a shortage for a long time: Nissan Murano, Honda Pilot, Hyundai IX55, Kia Mohave, finally. In principle, VW Touareg and Jeep Cherokee also fit here ... There are plenty of cars, especially when you consider that the last couple of years the demand for them, to put it mildly, is low. But the Russian market, as always, turned out to be completely unpredictable.
Demand creates supply. This is an unshakable rule. However, on the domestic car market, the second strict dependence of the second was not observed on the first. The last couple of years, the full -fledged news of the company has been withdrawn, as they say, per future. Only Toyota-Lexus over the past twelve months there were at least two of them: the baby IQ and the very fresh Lexus Es ... they still have to prove their viability. It would seem, why do we also have Highlander in such a situation? Another American cat in a bag, with a slurred orientation and even less intelligible prospects. But it turned out that needed, more than everyone else. He shot a year and a half ago (and by crisis standards very confidently). Moreover, through the efforts of unofficial sellers, who, it would seem, have long been dull. And as in the good old fairy tale about pre -crisis times, their activity has been distinguished by the Russian office of the company to legalize the model. In general, the market was hacked in the best traditions of the middle of the zero. So what did Highlander hooked Russian clients so?
The system of assistance in the descent, the mode of movement on slippery coatings ... Theoretically, Highlander has many attributes of a normal SUV ... Nevertheless, electronics are responsible for everything in this car. There are no locks, so even a slight diagonal hanging for him may be an excessive task.
The exterior on this list was definitely not listed. The prerestyled model, with which everything, in fact, has begun, looks today, frankly, dull. Looking at her, it seems that the Japanese simply took Rav4 and puffed it through the exhaust pipe, like a balloon at a children's holiday. As a result, it turned out to be a kind of hybrid with a length with Land Cruiser Prado, with the profile of the old Subaru Forester and the face of the same RAV4 another car without a face. It appeared in the reform version, although technically it is the same car. In general, the 2010 Highlander sample looks completely different. He is solid, adult, modern ... But the main thing in his appearance began to see a kind of charisma.
And after all, it was not necessary to do anything special: modern Toyota all -wheel drives look quite decent, so in the new appearance of Highlander simply compiled certain stylistic developments used to create relatives. They substantiated all this with a new visual concept with the mysterious name Strong out, uniting dynamics in the exterior, power and reliability . The Japanese coped or not, to solve customers, from our side we note that the notorious Strong would better come under the description of the interior.
Firstly, the designers retained in Highlander a classic front panel architecture for the model. By the way, it strongly resembles Camry cockpit, which can only be explained by their close kinship (cars are built on a single platform). In general, there are no special stylistic delights here, the materials of the finish are about the same. But even smaller colors (in particular, applies to this design of the unit of the standard multimedia system), so the crossover salon looks quite presentable. And this despite the fact that Highlander does not at all make the impression of an expensive car a typical family middle class.
Here comfort is probably out of competition. Planting quality at the level of, say, Honda Pilot. The chairs are soft, comfortable, with sane ranges of adjustments, but of course, there are no disposal to active driving. However, the highlander itself is more spacious. If in Honda the driver is clamped on all sides by certain elements of the interior, then there is complete freedom. And not only in width, but also in height, although the clearly low roof at first makes him fear for the safety of the heads of excessively high individuals.
The second row is a separate song. Theoretically, he would probably be able to accept three riders, but there are only two places. There is no chance to plant the third chance. You can’t even call the central part of the sofa a half -pound, the only confirmed function of it is to be transformed into a kind of central table, implicitly freeing up space, for example, for laying skis. In general, for a family car, the solution is not too logical, but the Japanese, especially those made for the American market, are not so rare in the second row (recall at least Infiniti QX).
Formally, the crossover is considered seven -seater, but in the second row there are only two seats. By the way, they are practically not inferior to the front in comfort.
As for Highlander, for him the restriction of passenger capacity of the second row is generally irrelevant. The crossover has a gallery. Of course, not so convenient, not calculated on full-sized adults, but quite suitable for, if necessary, two extra riders on board still transport. Technically, this was decided quite traditionally a couple of seats nominally represent the floor of the luggage compartment. Pulling behind the corresponding loop, the driver simply raises the structure, installing it in the working position. The process looks simple, however, when transformed, it is necessary to make a significant effort, so the representatives of the weak half of humanity do not should independently turn the machine into minivan.
By the way, the Japanese could well automate this process, especially since today there is nothing complicated in this. In addition, the second Highlander finally forgot how to conquer the off -road, in fact, turning into a large station wagon. Yes, all-wheel drive is still present here, but besides it in the arsenal there was practically nothing left.
The predecessor, produced from 2000 to 2007, with the help of WiSoft, was able to block the center differential. At the same time, he had a self -block behind him. Not so hot, of course, but in relatively difficult conditions it was quite enough. The second version has only a free conical center diff, capable of equally divided the moment between the axes, and ... and that’s all. There is nothing more. Only a 206-mm road clearance and numerous electronic systems, constantly raping long-suffering ABS and overlapping oxygen with a motor.
The front seats are in American way, they practically do not hold in corners. But you can drive them for three to four hours without a break.
In general, from the crossover, Highlander has turned into a clean SUV, the four -wheel drive of which is not so much intended for conquering snow, sands and lanes, but as an asphalt -drifted asphalt, since in the absence of even electronic imitation of the rear differential blocking for it, any light diagonal hanging will be destructive.
It is good on the hard coating: stable, predictable, moderately dynamic ... to meet the engine to no use the same 3.5-liter gasoline V6 as on Camry and on many other cars of the concern. He changes the second hundred on the speedometer for 89 seconds, but what pleases, some terrifying consequences for the remaining fuel in the tank and, accordingly, this does not carry the wallet: about 1415 liters are spent on an average of 100 kilometers of urban mileage. The main thing is not to use the accelerator to no avail. This car is clearly not for racing.
Although Highlander is controlled at the same time completely light, and this concerns not only the sensitivity of the steering wheel, but also the maneuverability (the radius of the turn does not affect, but at least pleasantly surprises). The pendants, of course, are very comfortable, even despite the tendency of the car to keel and diagonal buildup. The latter, however, was quite predictable even by unclean Americans were always famous for this.
It is only a pity that with minor irregularities, the car, like any other similar crossover, copes much worse than large: on the comb the body literally beats in hysteria, now and then getting down into the resonance. Not the most pleasant sensations. Otherwise, Highlander is quite adequate. It remains to get used to the cost. For a car that occupies a niche between Prado and Rav4, a price tag of 1.75 million is large, customers may not understand. However, this car once has already bypassed market rules ...
Certificate MK
The largest release in the Russian automobile market, which happened exclusively thanks to unofficial sellers, is the arrival of the Infiniti brand. Since the majority did not provide service services for the most part, the owners of numerous FX and QX had to contact the branded STO Nissan. And the Japanese, respectively, train the servicemen. Then it remained, in fact, to certify the cars and establish supplies.
SPECIFICATIONS
Toyota Highlander
Dimensions (mm) 4785x1910x1760
Wheel base (mm) 2790
Road clearance (mm) 206
Mass (kg) 2075
Trunk volume (L) 2901200
Slave. engine volume (cm3) 3456
Max. Power (L.S.) 273
Max. Twisting the moment (Nm) 337
Max. Speed \u200b\u200b(km/h) 180
Acceleration 0100 km/h (c) 8.2
Cf. fuel consumption (l/100 km) 12.4
Price (rub.) From 1,757,000
Competitors
PIONEER
At one time, Nissan Murano turned out to be almost the first crossover to legalized thanks to gray dealers. However, the current generation of the car was delivered to Russia already completely legally. He has a similar 3.5-liter gasoline V6, but he is not aggregated with automatic transmission, but with a variator. A completely electronic intellectual system is from an off -road set. At the same time, in the basic configuration of Murano, 150,000 rubles are cheaper than the most affordable Highlander, but it looks no worse ...
...FELLOW
Honda Pilot by and large
direct competitor Highlander. These machines have similar dimensions and proportions, but the main thing is almost the same price tags (the initial Pilot costs today 1,732,000 rubles). The Honda is equipped with a gasoline unit similar in volume (although with slightly reduced power indicators) and the same 5-speed automatic. But the nominal seats in the car are already eight (!) Thanks to a triple gallery. However, in practice, Pilot is hardly more spacious.
Korean horse
Three years ago, the existence of a machine with the name Hyundai Veracruz in Russia was known only to the initiates, at the same time no one heard about IX55 at all. In fact, this is the same car, namely the first full -size crossover in the brand line. Alas, the Koreans reacted very seriously to him. As a result, today the minimum cost of the model is 1,919,000 rubles, and the only more or less serious advantage over rivals is the presence of a 3-liter turbodiesel that is proposed as a quality
alternatives 3.8-liter gasoline motor.
Source: Mkobil magazine [December/2010]
