Toyota adds Hybrid model to Highlander lineup

The bigger goal of the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is to help the Japanese auto maker become the number one-selling nameplate in the truck business, displacing Ford after many years.

The immediate goal is of more interest to consumers looking for the latest techno-toy answer to improved fuel economy, if not actually lower overall transportation costs, though that's an issue for another time.

Right now, let's say hello to the first seven-seat hybrid, which ought to get some attention in the SUV world when it arrives in Toyota stores sometime in 2005 after appearances at the Montreal auto show in January and subsequent events across the country.

Ken Tomikawa, president and CEO of Toyota Canada Inc., believes that the Highlander Hybrid ''makes an excellent companion vehicle to the Prius in our hybrid lineup by providing Toyota lifestyle SUV customers with a powerful but eco-friendly SUV option.''

It is not however the end of hybrids bearing Toyota and Lexus badges, Tomikawa says, ''as we strengthen our position as the world's leading producer of higher efficiency, lower environmental impact vehicles.''

The new Toyota Highlander Hybrid uses a mix of gasoline and electricity to power the 3.3-litre V-6, and is another new version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain.

''The system was specifically developed to meet the load-carrying requirements of a mid-size SUV,'' says Tony Wearing, managing director of Toyota Canada Inc.

Most importantly in a vehicle as large as a Highlander, the new system features a larger-capacity battery and all-new high-speed electric motor that will deliver more power than Toyota's current generation Prius hybrid-electric automobile.  

''With total peak-system power projected at approximately 270 hp,'' says Wearing, ''the new system will improve upon the V-6 Highlander's already impressive less-than-eight-second zero-to-60 kmh acceleration.''

The Highlander Hybrid uses a regenerative braking system to further boost system efficiency, Wearing explains. ''When the vehicle is coasting or the brakes are applied, the electric motor functions as a generator, capturing kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat through the brakes and converting it into useable electricity to recharge the batteries.''

In addition to its performance, Wearing says, the Highlander Hybrid will also deliver the best fuel economy in the mid-size SUV segment. Indeed, ''Highlander Hybrid's combined fuel efficiency will be comparable to that of a compact sedan. Equally important, Highlander Hybrid will be rated as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle, one of the most stringent emissions ratings in the industry.''

In addition to providing the fuel economy of a compact sedan, Wearing says, the Highlander Hybrid will ''offer the versatility, refinement, and comfort demanded in a mid-size SUV.''

For example, Highlander Hybrid will get electric four-wheel-drive with intelligence (4WD-i) as standard equipment, as well as front and rear electric motors that will ''deliver balanced power to all four wheels, providing instantaneous acceleration.''