2020 Toyota Highlander Tease Convinces Us We're Seeing Things in NY
Toyota released a teaser today that it says “alludes” to the redone 2020 Highlander SUV — slated to be unveiled at the 2019 New York International Auto Show next week — but what we can see with the exploding image teaser is more illusion than allusion.
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Shop the 2019 Toyota Highlander near you
Toyota commissioned Brooklyn-based augmented reality artist Michael Murphy to create the 3-D illusion for the fourth generation of its Highlander three-row SUV. We’ll have to wait for the show for the 3-D reality, however. Toyota says Murphy used a design rendering of the new Highlander to create a series of 200 printouts that then were painted and placed to appear as if floating in air to create the illusion of a three-dimensional Highlander. Video of the art installation, which Toyota says “capitalizes on the new sculpted design elements” of the Highlander, also will be projected on buildings around New York City leading up to the show.
Toyota provided no further details about the new Highlander. We expect that, as with all other recent new Toyotas, it will move to Toyota’s new global platform. It also might grow a little for more competitive space inside. The aging current generation has a tight third row, particularly compared to the new and generally roomier rivals it will face in this hot market segment — in addition to traditional rivals such as the Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder and Chevrolet Traverse.
Since this generation of the Highlander first rolled out, Volkswagen and Subaru have joined the three-row SUV competition with the Atlas and Ascent, respectively. Hyundai has the new Palisade coming and Kia has the new Telluride three-row just on sale. And Ford unveiled a redesigned Explorer in January.
The new Highlander also is likely to retain updated V-6 power, like the competition, but also have a hybrid option, which Toyota has said it will offer for all its vehicles.
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We’ll find out next week. We’ll have our full team of automotive journalists at the media preview for the 2019 New York International Auto Show, April 17-18, and will be bringing you all the action from the show floor, so be sure to check back in with us often.
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