Toyota Highlander - Motorshow Focus

Has more interior space than its predecessor and 30% better NVH levels.

Toyota had showcased the new Highlander at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show. The car made its debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show.

The Highlander is a massive SUV whose length, width and height are 4855 mm, 1925 mm and 1720 mm respectively. The front gets a big grille with a thick chrome strip, sweptback headlamps and wide radiator grille. Squarish wheel arches define the side profile while the rear has a roof-mounted spoiler and wraparound tail lights.

The interior sports a functional look with wood and metallic elements enhancing the appeal. The seats are wrapped in leather and feature contrasting red stitching as well heating for the first and second row. The cabin space has increased and can now accommodate a total of eight occupants due to the increased 4.3 inches width at the rear. The Display Audio system is operated through a 6.1-inch touchscreen equipped with Toyota's Entune multimedia system, an 8.0-inch screen is optional.

Safety is taken care of by eight airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Brake-force Distribution, Traction Control, Electronic Brake Assist, Hill-start Assist Control, backup camera and ABS.

In China, the Highlander comes with two engine options. These are a 2.0-liter turbocharged D-4ST four cylinder and 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 engine. The former has output figures of 220 hp and 350 Nm with the latter pushing out 273 hp and 337 Nm of peak torque output. The smaller engine comes in both 2WD and 4WD variants whereas the V6 can only be had with 4WD. Irrespective of the engine, the sole gearbox is the 6-speed automatic unit.