AT THE WHEEL
Toyota Harrier
In the late 1990s, many manufacturers moved to passenger car-based compact SUVs. Toyota was no exception and it introduced the Harrier in 1997. Its name is derived from the eastern marsh harrier, which is a bird of prey found predominantly in Hokkaido and parts of Honshu.
The Harrier brandishes a bird’s head logo rather than the familiar Toyota version. The first generation was exported to the US in 1998 under the Lexus RX badge. And when the second generation came in 2003, its popularity skyrocketed. Many people bought the Harrier and rebadged their cars with the Lexus logo.
In fact, it was so popular that in the first few years after the third generation was introduced in 2013, Toyota sold the second generation alongside at a lower price point. Following a couple of model updates of the third generation, the fourth arrived in mid-2020 during the pandemic.
Quite a few Toyota cars including the Corolla are based on the carmaker’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. A derivative of this is TNGA-K, which is shared by the RAV4 and Harrier.
The design is without a doubt an evolution of the model it replaces: headlamps and grille, tail lamps and body creases all take cues from the third generation but have been further streamlined.
And the general silhouette is now more coupe-like, which is a feature that seems to be trending across manufacturers including Audi’s Q3 Sportback. Even though the Harrier is not a coupe as such, it does hint at being one with its angular shape.
In its new cabin, premium materials adorn the upper section – they give the Harrier a more upmarket feel than the RAV4. The centre of the dash has been designed to resemble a saddle. And the higher end models feature a JBL audio system with 12.3 inch display panel (the base model gets an eight inch display), which looks strange as it sticks out above the dash and atop the aforementioned saddle.
Interiors are not Toyota’s forte. The combination analogue/digital driver display looks dated, and is no match for the virtual cockpits found in the Audi and MercedesBenz. The top tier model also has a panoramic electrochromic glass sunroof that can convert the clear glass to frosted at the flick of a switch – a feature found only in high end luxury cars.
The seats are comfortable, and offer optional cooling and heating. Load space is somewhat limited however, due to the tapering roofline – although on the second row, headroom seemed adequate rather than generous. And the Harrier gets a whole suite of active and passive safety tech.
We found the suspension setup to be more comfortbased rather than performance oriented. While climbing a gravel incline without the RAV4’s terrain selection system, the Harrier struggled for traction and regained it once the front wheels were electronically stopped from spinning.
That’s not a huge issue considering that most owners won’t take the Harrier/Venza off-road. Refinement and cabin insulation seem to be up there with the best although the whining continuously variable transmission (CVT) when accelerating hard is a negative – and we can’t stress this enough since we’re look forward to a world without CVTs.
So while we recommend the Harrier, it’s not for everyone. Considering that it’s a Toyota, we expect it to retain value better than its rival South Korean, Indian and Chinese products.
It would suit a mature family that enjoys gentle comfortable journeys rather than families that are into adventure and the outdoors. The Harrier does comfort and refinement to perfection.
But don’t expect it to be cheap, considering its engines are 2-litre to 2.5-litre petrol. This means there are many other more affordable choices such as Skoda’s Karoq and Mercedes’ new GLA, which we will profile shortly.