Toyota to launch new Harrier SUV in June

Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that it plans to release its new model Harrier in around June 2020, in Japan. The Japanese carmaker had debuted the Harrier in 1997 and pioneered  the 'Urban SUV') genre that is not constrained by traditional categorisation, a vehicle that offers heightened styling and suited to a wide range of uses.

According to Toyota, "the Harrier brings together simplicity, elegance, and robustness in a fluent coupe form. Its high-quality interior space provides a sense of security from the first moment inside the cabin."

Seen from the front, the 2020 Harrier has sharp styling through the continuity of lines flowing from the front upper grill through to the headlamps. The signature lamps emphasize the individuality and technical advancement of the new Harrier, enabling it to be easily distinguished from a distance.

Despite a simple structure, the side view offers a dynamically changing body cross-section that creates a rich expressiveness while giving a powerful sense of movement.

The combination of a narrowed coupe cabin with sports car-like wheel housings extending from both sides of the body gives a generous ruggedness to the rear view. This is embellished by the light from a thin, sharp line of tail-lamps and stop lamps.

The inside story
The interior employs low-contrast browns, greys, and blacks aimed at lending a "feeling that is both chic and mature."

The centre console presents a wide and imposing impression of a horse's saddle. It combines with an instrument panel set within the edges of the saddle to present a generous ruggedness with an emphasis on individuality.

The interior employs tactile synthetic leather to create the image of a natural-looking silhouette wrapped in thick leather, and bentwood-inspired wood tones and piping throughout.

A panorama roof, used for the first time by Toyota, is equipped with electric shades and electro-chromatic windows.

Built on the TNGA platform
The new Harrier uses the TNGA (GA-K) platform for its basic structure. This creates a highly rigid body with a low centre of gravity in pursuit of both ride comfort and vehicle driving performance with a focus on driver sensitivity.

The suspension system uses MacPherson struts at the front and a double wishbone setup at the rear. The front and rear suspension geometry has also been optimised to produce a well-balanced rigid body.

The TNGA platform brings with it the latest all-new Dynamic Force Engine and Direct Shift-CVT. Together with the continually evolving Toyota Hybrid System (THS II), the vehicle achieves a direct driving experience and superior fuel performance. There are also hybrid specifications including 2WD models.

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.

It features a T-Connect SD navigation system with 12.3-inch TFT wide touch-display screen, with SmartDeviceLink (SDL) and other smartphone connectivity. The JBL premium sound system (9 speakers) creates an advanced and realistic acoustic space.

High on safety
Like all Toyotas, the new Harrier is high on safety. It 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.

It is fully equipped with safety equipment for safety and peace of mind, such as Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Parking Support Brakes (Stationary Objects) that helps reduce and/or mitigate damage from collisions during low-speed driving in parking lots, etc.

The Digital Inner Mirror, used for the first time by Toyota, enables recording of images to the front and rear of the vehicle while driving.