See 2020 Toyota Highlander Photos

Toyota hasn’t released any additional dimensional measurements. Thanks to the integrity of the TNGA-K platform, engineers were permitted to retune the front strut and rear multilink suspension for a smoother ride, a tighter turning radius, and increased agility.

Mild cosmetic details differentiate the trim levels: L, LE, and XLE trims feature a black front grille with silver trim, and the Limited and Platinum grades feature a black grille with chrome trim and a chrome-plated lower rear fascia, premium projector headlamps, and 20-inch alloy wheels, a Highlander first.

The Platinum gets even more detail with a silver-painted front bumper and rear fascia and a new 20-inch wheel design. Five new exterior colors are added: Magnetic Gray Metallic, the blue-hued Moon Dust, Ruby Flare Pearl, Blueprint, and Opulent Amber, which is said to be a deep brown.

The 3.5-liter V-6 returns for an encore performance, cranking out the same 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque as it did in the previous Highlander, and an eight-speed automatic transmission handles the gear swaps. While not the most exciting combination, it is a proven entity.

Aside from the styling, the big Highlander news is the “New-Generation” Hybrid powertrain. A full technical dossier will have to wait until we test one, but basically the system is claimed to be smaller and lighter with fewer frictional losses.

Not surprisingly, the Highlander offers Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 suite of features as standard kit across the lineup. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high-beams, and pre-collision with pedestrian detection.

The base L trim and next-step LE trim get a standard second-row bench that, combined with the third-row seat, makes the Highlander an eight-seater, while the XLE and Limited trims feature second-row captain’s chairs as standard but offer the bench as an option for those who absolutely need seating for eight.

The Platinum gets the second-row captain's chairs and third-row bench as the sole seating arrangement for a maximum body count of seven. Standard three-zone climate control will keep the gang comfortable regardless of seating position. There’s 16.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, but folding it flat increases the cargo area to 40.6 cubic feet.

While the changes may seem incremental at best, Toyota knows not to mess with a proven concept, and the 2020 Highlander represents the same values as the previous editions in new, more contemporary wrapper.