Review: 2011 Toyota Highlander

Toyota are calling the 2011 Highlander changes a mid-cycle refresh, something every manufacturer does to vehicles that have been on the market for a while, to spark some life and interest into them to once again. However, the sheer amount of work that has gone into the 2011 Highlander could easily qualify as an all-new model redesign, with heavy cosmetic and aerodynamic changes to the body, increased capacity and winter heating has been built into the hybrid system while an entirely new engine now powers the V-6 powered Highlanders. While most mid-cycle changes usually consist of new trim levels, or minor fascia work, Toyota’s all out assault on the Highlander has changed the entire character of this mid-sized crossover.

Lets start with the most obvious changes, the new look. is refreshing, and has now confirmed the Highlander is the younger brother of the 4Runner gaining a similar family appearance. The new menacingly styled headlights and grille is refreshing bit of spice to Toyota’s usual mass appeal design recipe. Matched with slightly massaged front and rear bumpers, the new Highlander barely resembles the timid creature that we’ve become used to. Along with these changes, the rocker panels and front sheet metal have also been redesigned to channel air more efficiently around the vehicle in a never ending battle to lower the aerodynamic co-efficient.

There are also big changes under the skin. Gone is the 3.3L V-6 that was normally found in the Highlander, replaced by a quite useful 270-horsepower 3.5L V-6. The Hybrid features upgraded Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive technology built around a Atkinson cycle version of the 3.5L V-6 and an enhanced electrical motor/generator system, both of which deliver 10% better fuel efficiency. With this addition of three electric motors (one for charging, one powering front wheels, one powering rear wheels) the Highlander Hybrid now boasts a combined horsepower rating of 280, with push button electric-only drive capability, providing the batteries are well charged.

New this year, Toyota has added an Exhaust Gas Re-circulation and Exhaust Heat Recovery systems to the hybrid. The first re-circulates spent exhaust gasses to lower exhaust gas temperatures, which in turn minimizes the need for fuel enrichment. The benefit is a significant reduction of fuel consumption, especially during high-load driving and improved fuel efficiency. The Heat Recovery System recovers exhaust heat to quickly raise coolant temperature during warm-up. This allows the engine to warm up faster thereby, allowing it to shut off for EV driving a full 15-minutes sooner; a handy feature for short winter commutes.

Inside, the dash and door panels are still a sea of hard plastic and don’t possess the most inspiring of designs, however a strip of felt on the door panel did add a small touch of luxury. While the materials may seem cheap, the controls are very simple and easy to use as well as the dash layout. Knobs and buttons have a good solid feel and are extra large just incase you forget where they are. Both the steering and seats have a good range of adjustability to find the optimal position for just about any size.

Toyota have done a masterful packaging job with the back of this SUV, as personal space should be taken up by fold flat seating, fuel tanks, full size spare, and those extra batteries that need to go somewhere. This year every Highlander comes standard with 7-passenger seating thanks to a 50/50 split pop-up third row, so space should be hard to find. Now with many mid-sized utes, these seats are all but useless to anyone north of a toddlers size anyways, and while at first I thought the same of the Highlanders third row, I quickly changed my tune after crawling back there. There is ample headspace for average sized adults and with the second row pushed forwards slightly, legroom is also kind for short trips. However, if there is only five coming along, the rear passengers are treated to a massive amount of space with the 3^rd row folded flat.

On the road, the Hybrid drove straight and true, however steering is very light and void of any real feel for the road. Like most Toyota’s, the Highlander is engineered for a soft smooth ride, however, despite the AWD system, it’s not likely many of these will ever see off-road duty, so I’d personally like to see the suspension firmed up a bit to give a better feel of the road and help the noticeable body roll. What did get me excited was the vehicles fuel efficiency. The Hybrid Synergy Drive worked wonders on the highway, scoring an incredible 7.1L/100km fuel efficiency rating on a 165-km drive, a number besting several compact cars, not to mention Toyota’s own numbers as its rated at 7.3L/100km. However I was not able to get much urban driving in, but Toyota rates the Hybrid at 6.6/100km, an easy figure to match with the help of the EV mode. For the non-hybrid Highlander, expect to see a highway rating of 7.3L/100km, and 10.4L/100km in the city.

All in all, the 2011 Highlander was a pleasant surprise as both the use of interior space and incredible fuel efficiency topped any expectations I previously held for the vehicle. While I’m not a supporter of SUV or CUV vehicles, the new Highlander will surely make prospective station wagon buyers think twice. As of time of writing, Toyota has not yet revealed pricing on the Highlanders, so check out Toyota.ca to get the latest.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Base Price (MSRP): TBA

Price as Tested: TBA

Type: 7-passenger Crossover

Layout: Front engine, AWD, Hybrid assist

Engine: 3.5L V-6 with Electric assist

Horsepower: 280 combined

Torque: 215 combined

Transmission: Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT)

Brakes: Four-wheel discs with regenerative braking

Cargo Capacity: 2,660L seats folded, 290L all seats up

Fuel Economy (L/100km): 6.6L city, 7.3L highway 

Review: Return of the Chief

There are big movements afoot at Chrysler these days. The company that filed for bankruptcy protection just last year, held a sense of uncertainty and gloom over the pentastar brands. However, they are about to break that trend with a plethora of exciting new vehicles.

The first vehicle to receive the increased attention is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Billed as a luxury off-roader, the Cherokee is another SUV that tries to mix top levels of luxury into a vehicle capable of getting itself dirty where ever the driver may care to take it. Many have failed in this attempt, and indeed, the last generation Grand Cherokee lacked a quality interior, while the drive was still very much soft-road oriented to to do battle with other high-end SUV's.

That changes for the 2011 model year, however. The new Grand Cherokee gets a bold new look, vastly improved interior design, and with help from an old elegance with Daimler, it now has a body stiff enough to take on even the most expensive in the business.

While exterior received a fair amount of attention, it was not the weak point of the outgoing model. The interior of the 2010 lacked any real luxury appointments and was of a design that seamed to age in front of your eye's. Jeep put a full court press into updating the interior to a higher standard. A sharp new design is complemented by premium soft-touch materials. However, it's the little details that make the Cherokee's interior truly great. Door storage bins are tapered, chrome vent handles have a soft rubber grip, while aluminum scuff slats line the rear cargo area add an extra touch of class. Drivers are also offered several feature upgrades including real wood and leather, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, four-way power lumbar controls, rain-sensitive wipers, Keyless Enter-N-Go, ParkView rear back-up camera and power tilt/telescoping steering column with memory. It's a coming together of hundreds of little insignificant details that make the interior of the Grand Cherokee a such a great place to spend your time.

Many will fondly remember the diesel version of the Cherokee that proved to be quite popular that offered increased off-road, towing and fuel efficiency abilities over the gasoline counterparts. As of yet there is no diesel version coming to Canada, however,  Jeep are quick to point out that the all-new flexible-fuel, 3.6L Pentastar V-6  gets better fuel efficiency than the outgoing diesel. The Pentastar engine features an 11 percent improvement in fuel economy, delivering up to 10.2 L/100km, Variable-valve Timing, 290 hp and 260 lb.-ft. Of course those that want a little more rumble under the right foot can opt for the 5.7L HEMI V-8 in the top three trim levels.

Moving our way down the driveline, Jeep has offered up three different 4x4 options to choose from. The Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and the Quadra-Drive II. Quadra-Trac I is a full-time AWD single speed transfer case with a 50/50 torque split offered on the base V-6. Quadra-Trac II is an electronically controlled two-speed unit that is available with a 2.72 low range ratio and Selec-Terrain, which allows the driver to choose from five different surface conditions. Auto is designated for everyday driving. Snow, is tuned to minimize oversteer and maximizes traction. Sport reduces traction control and gives a RWD feel. Sand/Mud maximizes traction and allows for additional wheel slip. Finally Rock is available in 4-Low and activates hill descent.

Along with the drivetrain layouts, Jeep is now offering Quadra-Lift, which implements air springs in place of the regular coil springs found on the base V-6. Controlled with the Selec-Terrain or manually, Quadra-Lift allows the Cherokee to be lowered nearly 4 cm for entry and exit, will lower 1.3 cm for performance driving or can raise the Cherokee 3.3 cm in off-road I, or 6.6 cm in off-road II. In off-road II, the Cherokee reaches a top ground clearance of 21.8 cm, for off-road duties.

So now that we have the technicals out of the way, lets get into the drive. I chose the base Laredo as my first vehicle as this comes standard with the all-new Pentastar V-6. Smooth is the optimum word here, as both the engine and the ride were revelation of quality. The V-6 pulled strong throughout the power-band and really was as efficient as Jeep promised. Having to settle for the base engine never seemed so good, in fact I actually preferred it over the rather brutish and guzzling HEMI counterpart. My only complaint was with the aging 5-speed automatic transmission, which lost a lot of rpm on upshifts and struggled to find the right gear going up hills. This should be rectified with Chrysler just signing a deal to build the ZF 8-speed automatic, that will likely make its way into the Cherokee in a few years time.

However, one of the most enduring factors that was left with me in driving the Cherokee was the increase in quality handling. The base Cherokee drove as smooth as a Lexus, and could likely give a BMW a run in the handling department. The strength of the new chassis is blatant, and really takes this vehicle into another level. The base V-6 was a joy to drive in the twisties, however, I found that the big V-8 with the Quadra-Lift suspension was much softer and moved around more than I would have liked. Were the base Cherokee made huge new strides in on-road abilities, the Quadra-Lift equipped V-8 reminded me of the older, softer Cherokee, one more suitable for those who intend to use it off-road

It is a Jeep after all, and Jeeps go anywhere. Don't let the flashy new disguise fool you, as this is one of the most capable luxury off-roaders going and is Trail Rated. Set loose in the Hollister Hills Recreational Area, we dragged the Cherokee up some impressive washouts and down steep sandy drops. Despite being equipped with all-season tires, the Cherokee upheld the brands recognitions for off-road excellence. For the four-wheeling gear-heads out there frothing at the mouth to know what type of numbers equate to in the off-road department, ground clearance is listed at 218 mm, with at 26.3-degree approach 26.5 departure angles and and a break-over of 18.8-degree with standard suspension. Opt for the air springs and those numbers change to 270 mm, 34.3-degrees, 29.3-degrees and 23.1-degrees.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee is currently being shipped to dealerships and will be available in four different trim levels. The base Laredo E which only comes with the Pentastar V-6 and starts at $37,995. The Laredo X upgrades interior features and offers the HEMI and Off-Road Group II as an option with Selec-Terrain and Quadra-Lift. The Limited comes standard with Quadra-Trac II, Selec-Terrain and HID headlamps and starts at $46,998 while the Overland tops the line with standard GPS, Quadra-Lift and 20-inch wheels. For a vehicle who's next closest rival is represented by the Land Rover Range Rover, the Cherokee represents a massive bang for buck in the luxury 4x4 segment.

Specifications:

MSRP: $37,995 - $49,995

Type: 5-door, 5-seat SUV

Layout: Front engine/4x4

Engine: 3.8L V-6/5.7L V-8

Power: 290/360

Torque: 260/390

Transmission: 5-speed automatic

Brakes: Ventilated discs (front and rear)

Fuel economy: 13.0 L/100km City; 8.9 L/100km Hwy/15.7 L/100km City; 10.6 L/100km Hwy