KINGSTON, Ontario — When the new-generation Highlander debuted in 2009, a four-cylinder version was no longer in the catalogue.
Well times change. It’s back.
Speaking at a press event designed to showcase Toyota’s strategy for these trying times, Stephen Beatty, the company’s managing director, noted that new and more four-cylinder models are part of Toyota’s grand scheme, and definitely not a knee jerk reaction to the economic climate.
“They were born out of a strategic plan that looked ahead to what drivers would need and desire… and how we anticipated vehicles would be affected by a changing world and changing environment... Toyota’s first growth spurt in North America was the provision of fuel-efficient vehicles in the height of the 1973 Oil Crisis. That success is part of Toyota’s DNA.”
New 4-cylinder engine family
We have no reason to doubt Toyota planning, because you can’t just pull a crossover-ready big-four out of a hat, and Toyota just happens to have a brand-new 2.7-litre “four” that looks tailor made for the Highlander.
That 2.7 is from a new family of four-cylinder engines known internally as AR, which is similar in design to the previous engine family (AZ), but with many new features, such as: Dual VVT-i; roller rocker arm system; acoustic control intake system (ACIS); and Tumble Control Valves (TCV), which enhance combustion at cold-engine start-ups.
The new engine, which meets the new Tier 2/ Bin 5 emission ratings, debuted as a 2.5-litre in the 2008 Rav4. More powerful versions of that 2.5-litre engine are now showing up in Camry. The longer stroke 2.7-litre version debuted in Venza.
For Highlander duty, the engine develops 187 hp at 5,800 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm. In Highlander it’s mated exclusively to a new FWD 6-speed automatic transmission.
Highlander’s V6 and V6 Hybrid models are only available in AWD, and use a 5-speed automatic.
Well times change. It’s back.
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| The new base model MSRP is $32,600. |
Speaking at a press event designed to showcase Toyota’s strategy for these trying times, Stephen Beatty, the company’s managing director, noted that new and more four-cylinder models are part of Toyota’s grand scheme, and definitely not a knee jerk reaction to the economic climate.
“They were born out of a strategic plan that looked ahead to what drivers would need and desire… and how we anticipated vehicles would be affected by a changing world and changing environment... Toyota’s first growth spurt in North America was the provision of fuel-efficient vehicles in the height of the 1973 Oil Crisis. That success is part of Toyota’s DNA.”
New 4-cylinder engine family
We have no reason to doubt Toyota planning, because you can’t just pull a crossover-ready big-four out of a hat, and Toyota just happens to have a brand-new 2.7-litre “four” that looks tailor made for the Highlander.
That 2.7 is from a new family of four-cylinder engines known internally as AR, which is similar in design to the previous engine family (AZ), but with many new features, such as: Dual VVT-i; roller rocker arm system; acoustic control intake system (ACIS); and Tumble Control Valves (TCV), which enhance combustion at cold-engine start-ups.
The new engine, which meets the new Tier 2/ Bin 5 emission ratings, debuted as a 2.5-litre in the 2008 Rav4. More powerful versions of that 2.5-litre engine are now showing up in Camry. The longer stroke 2.7-litre version debuted in Venza.
For Highlander duty, the engine develops 187 hp at 5,800 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm. In Highlander it’s mated exclusively to a new FWD 6-speed automatic transmission.
Highlander’s V6 and V6 Hybrid models are only available in AWD, and use a 5-speed automatic.
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| That 2.7 presents many new features like Dual VVT-i; roller rocker arm system and an acoustic control intake system. |