Toyota has launched the new generation Harrier in Japan. The car is an urban SUV which is designed stylishly and comes with two engine options. The car is offered with a 2.5 litre petrol hybrid propulsion as well as a 2.0 litre petrol with a CVT transmission. The Toyota Harrier can be ordered either with a front wheel drive or an all wheel drive option.
The Toyota Harrier was launched in Japan in 1997 as a an urban SUV. When launched, it never claimed to be an out and out performer on the street or off the road. However, it also met the requirements of the urban dweller who wanted an SUV that would be comfortable and offer a good on-road in-city driving experience.
The new Harrier comes painted in seven muted colours. Even the interiors of the car are a shade of dull greys and browns. But together, they offer a sophisticated and luxurious feel within the cabin. The upholstery, keeping in line with the trend across the world is made from environment friendly and recycled material. The Toyota Harrier’s central console gives the impression of a horse saddle topped by a 12.3′ TFT touch-display screen, with SmartDeviceLink (SDL) and other smartphone connectivity. To keep the driver and passengers entertained, the Toyota Harrier comes with a nine-speaker JBL system.
The Toyota Harrier comes with Toyota Safety Sense, which employs a pre-collision safety system that detects pedestrians during the day and at night, as well as cyclists during the day. The car is also equipped with safety equipment such as Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Parking Support Brakes that help reduce and/or mitigate damage from collisions during low-speed driving in parking lots. For the first time, Toyota has offered a Digital Inner Mirror, which enables recording of images to the front and rear of the vehicle while driving.
The rear three-quarters view is one of the best views for the car. Despite being an SUV, it gives the feel of a coupe with a low silhouette and a coupe like C-pillar. The front and side of the car look busy with a large interplay of curves and character lines. The Toyota Harrier looks very inspired by the Lexus siblings. It comes with tasty alloy wheels which fill the arches well and give a balanced look.
With a wheel base of 2,690 mm, the Toyota Harrier is a large car which can seat 5 people in comfort. It is 4.740 mm long overall, 1,855 mm wide and 1,660 mm tall. In keeping with its image of an urban SUV, it has a ground clearance of 195 mm. Suspension duty at the front is done MacPherson strut-type coil spring while a double wishbone-type coil spring does duty at the rear. The front wheels have been provided with ventillated disc brakes while the discs at the rear are solid.
The Toyota Harrier can be ordered with a hybrid propulsion pack comprising a 2,487 cc direct injection gasoline engine which produces 178 PS of power at 5,700 rpm and 221 N-m of torque between 3,600 and 5,200 rpm. This provides a wide torque band and offers ease of driveability. The Toyota Harrier may come with either motor on the front axle which produces 120 PS of power or 202 N-m of torque. The other option is a 54 PS, 121 N-m motor installed on the rear axle. The power and toque is transmitted using an electric continuously variable transmission.
The other option is a 1,986 cc inline four cylinder direct injection gasoline engine. This engine produces 171 PS of power at 6,600 rpm and 207 N-m of torque at 4,800 rpm. It uses a direct shift CVT to transmit the power and torque to the wheels. Both the models may be ordered with either front or four wheel drive.
In addition, the hybrid model features a 100-volt (alternating current) / 1,500-watt accessory power outlet. This not only allows the use of electrical products using the same electrical outlets found in the home, but also enables the vehicle to be used as a power generator during blackouts and other times of emergency.
The Transport Journal 