Under the hood, the hybrid powertrain is combined with the 3.3-liter V6 engine found in the Highlander to significantly improve low to mid-speed acceleration and overall fuel efficiency.
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| The Highlander's hybrid powertrain combines a series of electric motors with Toyota's 3.3-liter V6 engine. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
The Toyota hybrid SUV uses a regenerative braking system, just like the Prius, to further boost system efficiency. 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.
The Highlander Hybrid, slated for sale in North America in 2005, will offer the world its first seven-passenger hybrid SUV, stated Jim Press, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
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| The Toyota Highlander will be the first 7-passenger hybrid vehicle on the market. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
It will boast many of the same features and performance characteristics of the luxury model, including VDM, rear LED tail lamps, will be rated as an SULEV, and will deliver better acceleration over a typical sport-ute.
The differences, when compared to the Lexus RX 400h, are that the Highlander Hybrid will offer "electric four-wheel-drive with intelligence" (4WD-I), where the front and rear electric motors deliver balanced power to all four wheels to provide simultaneous acceleration.