Toyota will launch the new Highlander large SUV across western Europe for the first time as it expands its lineup of hybrid vehicles.
The arrival of the seven-seat SUV in 2021 will increase Toyota's range of gasoline-electric hybrid SUVs to four including the Yaris Cross small crossover that also goes on sales in 2021.
Toyota currently sells hybrid versions of the C-HR and RAV4 compact SUVs in Europe.
Toyota said the introduction of the Highlander Hybrid plugs a gap in the automaker's range.
"We are continuing to see a demand for seven-seat products in Europe, but shifting from minivans to SUVs," a Toyota spokesman said.
Toyota currently sells the Prius+, Land Cruiser off-roader and Proace Verso LCV-based minivan with seven or more seats.
The Highlander is Toyota's second best-selling SUV in the U.S. after the RAV4 but the company restricts European sales of the current model to a handful of markets, including Russia.
The fourth-generation model, which was unveiled in the New York auto show in April last year, improved the economy on the hybrid version by 24 percent, increasing its appeal in Europe.
The sole all-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain will achieve a CO2 figure of 146g/km as measured on the WLTP cycle, the company said. The car combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors for a combined power output of 241hp. Energy recuperated from braking is stored in a nickel metal hydride battery.
The Highlander measures 4950mm in length, 110mm longer than Toyota's Land Cruiser off-roader. One of the Highlander Hybrid's few competitors in the large mainstream SUV category will be the upcoming Ford Explorer plug-in hybrid. The majority of large, seven-seat SUVs are from premium automakers.
Interior space is flexible thanks to the sliding function for the second row of seats. Trunk space is 658 liters with the third row of seats folding, rising to 1,909 liters with the second and third rows folded.
U.S. production
The car shares the TNGA-K platform with the Camry midsize sedan. European models will be built in Toyota's U.S. plant in Indiana, Ohio, the company said.
Equipment on higher spec versions will include a 12.3-inch touchscreen, with further information delivered to the driver via a heads-up display. Also available will be wireless phone charging, seat ventilation and a hands-free electric tailgate, operated by kicking the space under the rear bumper. Toyota also highlighted the digital rear view mirror, which uses a screen to relay a video feed for a clearer view behind.
Active safety equipment on the car will include adaptive cruise control with ability to bring the car to rest in traffic, lane-keeping assistance and active steering to avoid a collision.
Prices will be revealed closer to the date of launch.
The current Highlander SUV sells from 3.57 million rubles (45,000 euros) in Russia for the 3.5-liter V-6 model.