TOYOTA HARRIER

AT A GLANCE

MODEL

Toyota’s Harrier compared to Tata’s is a mid-size five-seater crossover that’s been around since 1997. The fourth generation Harrier (or second generation Venza, as the Americans know it) is ideal for longdistance cruising rather than twisty mountainous drives or rock hopping.

ENGINES

The petrol engine model has Toyota’s newly developed M20AFKS Dynamic-Force 2-litre engine while the hybrid version gets a 2.5-litre (A25A-FXS) helped along by an electric drivetrain. Sadly, the turbocharger has been dropped from the lineup for now.

FUEL

22.7 km/litre from the 2.5-litre hybrid.

POWER

171 bhp (2-litre petrol) and 221 bhp (2.5-litre hybrid petrol).

TRANSMISSION

Direct shift CVT (continuously variable transmission) or eCVT on the hybrid version. No manual box is offered.

DRIVE

Front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or E-Four on the hybrid model. Essentially, the petrol engine drives the front wheels and the electric drivetrain steps in to motor assist the rear wheels when it detects wheel spin.

VERDICT

No doubt it will be a popular model worldwide, similar to Harriers of the past that have gained a reputation for being well built and packaged with Toyota’s bulletproof reliability. Sri Lanka may not import large numbers even though the hybrid is frugal due to even higher taxes on larger capacity engines. That’s a shame as it’s more suited to our road conditions than the Camry, which owners find bottoming out due to Colombo’s speed humps.