Model-year 2023 is going to be a big one for the Toyota Highlander.
The fourth generation of the brand’s go-to family SUV first arrived for model-year 2020. When the 2023 units arrive, they’ll be bringing new improvements along for the ride, including two major hardware and component updates.
Shoppers considering a 2022 Toyota Highlander have at least three good reasons to wait for the 2023s to arrive.
Free torque
For model-year 2023, Toyota replaces the Highlander’s proven 3.5L V6 engine (295 horsepower / 263 lb-ft of torque) with a new 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder (265 horsepower / 310 lb-ft of torque).
Horsepower drops by 30, but torque output climbs by 47 lb-ft. These figures mean that more of the engine’s torque output is concentrated into a smaller portion of its rev range, with more torque and throttle response available at much lower revs than the outgoing V6.
From the driver’s seat, expect more instant and positive throttle response in all situations, especially at lower engine speeds. The added response and low-rev torque characteristic of turbo engines like this one also tend to translate into a quieter, smoother drive because the engine needs fewer revs to do its job.
Best of all, combined consumption from the new engine is projected at 9.8 L/100 km — the same as the outgoing V6. It’s like getting free torque for your gas dollar, alongside reduced emissions.
The Highlander’s new turbo engine will be standard on all grades, and towing capacity for the 2023 Toyota Highlander is rated at up to 5,000 pounds.
Infotainment gamechanger
Out with the old, in with the new. For the 2023 update, Toyota’s next-generation infotainment system arrives front and centre in the Highlander—complete with some of the highest-quality graphics, screens and interfaces on the scene.
In a recent review of the 2022 Toyota Highlander, I showed readers and viewers that my tester’s central infotainment system and graphics were looking old and feeling dated. A massive infotainment system overhaul for model-year 2023 addresses these complaints, and will see Highlander drivers at the wheel of one of the best new infotainment touch-screen interfaces in the game.
I’ve previously encountered this infotainment system in the 2022 Toyota Tundra and 2022 Lexus NX. In both cases, I told readers it was a joy to use with seamless and consistent wireless connectivity, high-quality graphics and display surfaces, and interfaces that look sharp, modern and dynamic while also being easy to navigate.
For 2023, high-end models even boast dual 12.3-inch screens. This major infotainment update takes the Highlander’s system ahead by a light-year, and shoppers after the latest and greatest infotainment tech and displays won’t be disappointed.
Toyota has also revised the location of the wireless smartphone charging pad to make it more accessible and easier to use.
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The Grand Highlander
Rumours are swirling and at this writing, Toyota is tight-lipped about future plans for the Highlander lineup. Still, that hasn’t stopped the internet from speculating that an extended-wheelbase version of the Highlander, called the Grand Highlander, may be arriving later next year.
Our Jil McIntosh reported on these rumours this past spring, pointing to various articles and sources that claim a stretch Highlander is in the works.
With more and more shoppers gravitating towards ever-larger SUVs and crossovers for family adventure, an extended-wheelbase Highlander would give customers a new option in a three-row crossover that’s larger than a standard Highlander, but without moving up into the much bigger and heavier-duty Sequoia.
We’ll have to wait a little longer for any details on the Grand Highlander, but for shoppers after key Highlander attributes with added space, this rumoured model looks to be worth the wait.
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