Autoblog

Sluggish market conditions in the United States are the reason Toyota Motor Corp. is slowing down the launch of its new Highlander crossover plant in Tupelo, Mississippi. Originally scheduled to open in late 2009 with production at 150,000 vehicles per year, Toyota will instead begin production in May 2010 with an expected reduced annual output of 120,000 units a year. Of course, that number will increase if U.S. market conditions improve.

While the slowing economy is a leading reason for the delay, Toyota officials also confirmed that they are facing difficulty hiring skilled labor for the Tupelo project. They are now recruiting from around the country to fill positions in maintenance, along with tool and die engineers. Toyota expects to employ 2,000 workers at Tupelo. This isn't the first time Toyota has faced recruiting issues. When they opened San Antonio in 2004 and 2005, they found themselves challenged to staff the Tundra pickup plant. The Texas plant recently made headlines when Toyota slowed production of the Tundra. For the fiscal year, Toyota is forecasting operating profits to decline by 29-percent.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

There are few words in the English language which can conjure up as much meaning, and likely so many memories, as these: road trip. We've all been on them before; some are the highlights of your life and some... well, not so much. But having the right vehicle can make all the difference in the world. Thule, maker of "transportation accessories", has added its name to the ever-growing list of companies that have invented an "__ of the year" award. For this particular honor, Thule has broken the automotive landscape in half, dividing its choices for the best vehicle to take a road trip in at the $30 grand mark. Without further ado, the winners are:

• Best road trip vehicle under $30,000: Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
• Best road trip vehicle over $30,000: Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited

If you really want to read all of the reasons that Thule offers for choosing these vehicles, there's a whole press release pasted after the break. We're not going to argue with their choices, as both the Outback and the Highlander are fine vehicles, which would be suitable for a group of four people and their assorted belongings. Sure beats the old funny-smelling air-cooled VW van that had trouble keeping up with the slow-moving traffic that some of us can remember from our childhood.



[Source: Thule]

click above image for more pics of the 2008 Toyota Highlander from our review

Consumer Reports seems to have a few more fans ever since the folks there proved that they have no bias for Toyota by knocking the Japanese automaker down a few pegs. One of the measures taken after three Toyota vehicles, including a Lexus, were bumped from CR's recommended list was that no future Toyotas would get the benefit of the doubt and be labeled as "Recommended" based on the automaker's past performance. The first Toyota vehicle to be hit by this mandate is the new 2008 Toyota Highlander, which, despite becoming the highest rated mid-size SUV (it's really a CUV, but whatever) with three rows of seating, did not receive an automatic "Recommended" designation from the magazine. The Highlander received the highest score of 81 in CR's most recent test, while competitors that were tested alongside the Highlander like the Subaru Tribeca and Ford Taurus X scored 70 and 75, respectively, yet managed to earn the "Recommended" label. Like the Highlander, the Buick Enclave scored relatively well (75) but did not get recommended, with CR citing insufficient reliability data to make the call.

Though Toyota does not find itself in CR's good graces at the moment, the magazine has made it clear that if Toyota's reliability rating returns to "excellent", it will resume automatically recommending its models again. We're just curious, but do any CR readers out there know what other brands or automakers (not individual models) are also automatically recommended based on their past performance?

Click here to read a non-subscriber's version of CR's article, and click here to read our own review of the 2008 Toyota Highlander Sport.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Toyota Highlander

The Highlander's undergone a nearly Kafka-esque transformation from its start as essentially a Camry wagon with all-wheel-drive and extra ride height. For 2008, Toyota's middle-child 'ute has been bulked up into more of a maxi-cruiser than previously. At first glance it appears what's emerged from the chrysalis is a grotesquely overinflated Forester, but the new Highlander is more butterfly than cockroach.



All photos ©2007 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Toyota's revamped Highlander has been trickling onto dealer lots for about a month now, and Toyota's released details of the new hybrid version of the thoroughly improved midsize CUV. There are two trim levels available: base and Limited. Both will have the 3.3 liter V6 along with the 4WD-i system kicking out 270 horsepower. There are a couple different modes now, like ECON and EV, which should boost fuel economy in some cases.

There are now three rows of seats available, with a trick center position for the second row seats that can hide away. The Highlander has grown a lot, adding four inches in length, and three in width and height, too. Limiteds add nearly full-boat details to an already well-equipped base model. Things such as leather seats, six-disc changer, a power hatch, third-row bench, and more become part of the deal. Even with a newly designed vehicle carrying more standard equipment, the base model has seen a $190 price drop, to $33,700. If you must have all the goodies, the Limited increases in price by $3400, ringing up a bill of at least $39,950. The last Highlander Hybrid we had in the Autoblog Garage was $37,000, and failed to feel like such an expensive vehicle. The new Highlander Hybrid's appearance and equipment should help it pull off the crushing weight of its sticker price.

press release after the jump

[Source: Toyota via The Car Blog]

click above image to view more on-the-spot images of the 2008 Toyota Highlander

The last generation Toyota Highlander was one of the first vehicles to utilize a car chassis (from the Camry) underneath the body of an SUV. Today we call them CUVs or Crossovers, but back in 2001, they were just different. As a matter of fact, SUVs like the Explorer and Trailblazer were considered by many to be superior due to their more powerful powertrains, ability to tow large amounts of weight, and relative off-road prowess. In this age of $3 per gallon gasoline, however, Toyota's Highlander has weathered the storm better than most midsize body-on-frame SUVs.

Where the Highlander did come up a bit short was in the looks department. Calling the last-generation Highlander homely would almost be a compliment. The interior, while nicely built with high-quality materials, wasn't very usable, either. To see if Toyota was able to improve upon the boring-yet-successful Highlander, we traveled to Dearborn, Michigan, of all places, where Toyota officially unveiled the Highlander and gave us a chance to drive the vehicle around town.

Make the jump to read on.

click above image for more pics of the 2008 Toyota Highlander

Toyota's redesigned 2008 Highlander is expected on dealer lots in a couple of weeks, and buyers can expect relatively modest price increases over last year's model. The mid-size SUV drops the standard 4-cylinder in favor of a 270-hp, 3.5-liter V6 and the interior gets some upgrades. Toyota brags that the larger, more powerful Highlander retains its 2007 V6 fuel economy numbers of 17/23 for 4X2s and 16/22 for 4X4s.

At the low end, the Highlander Base 4X2 model's sticker gets bumped $510 to $27,300 while the 4X4 is up $560 to $28,750.

Sport and Limited level Highlanders get standard backup cameras independent of a navigation system and 19" wheels. Sport 4X2 models get a $985 bump to $29,950. Limited buyers also get keyless entry and will pay MSRP of $32,700 for the 4X2 and $34,150 for the 4X4, which is $1,890 and $1,940 more than 2007 models.

Highlander Hybrid sales are to begin in September, and Toyota will announce pricing for those nearer the fall.

After the jump read Toyota's complete press release with details on interior goodies and other upgrades.

[Source: Toyota]

History is filled with tales of politicians that wanted you to do as they say, but not as they do. California State Senator Carole Migden joined that dubious (and numerous) group yesterday when she rear-ended a Honda sedan while traveling down Highway 12 in Solano County, in her state-issued SUV. The Senator was allegedly reaching for her cell phone when she crashed into the driver in front of her. The irony of this story lies in the fact that Senator Migden voted for a bill that would have outlawed cellphone usage while driving.

The good news is that her free SUV is a 2007 Highlander Hybrid, so at least Miss Midgen gets to think she's fighting our country's dependence on foreign oil. The bad news is that she is not only driving around in an expensive vehicle at taxpayers expense, but we'd put our money on the state being slapped with a lawsuit due to the Senator's recklessness. Can somebody tell us why state Senators get free cars anyway?

[Source: Engadget]

Click above image for our high-res photo gallery of live and official shots

Here in Chicago this morning Toyota unveiled the redesigned 2008 Highlander with the mantra Bigger! Wider! Safer! As you might imagine, the new crossover is larger in all dimensions, with a more powerful 3.5L V6 now cranking out 270 hp, 55hp more than the old one. It is still based on the Camry platform, although now it's the most recent edition, which is three inches longer and four inches wider. The ground clearance is also increased by and inch and the wheelbase gets three extra inches. As for the new styling, if you squint you can see a passing resemblance in the front end to the new 2007 Tundra.

The biggest emphasis though was on safety. All Highlanders now have side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats as well as a knee bag for the driver. All will also get ABS, traction control, brake assist and stability control. The front end of the vehicle has special crush zones built in so that the next time you run over a pedestrian they have a slightly better chance of survival. In addition, the two upper trim levels get a rear facing video camera with a dedicated display that's not shared with the navigation system. The Toyota press release is after the jump with more details, and information on the new Highlander Hybrid and it's EV-only mode is over on AutoBlogGreen.

PS: Check out the tailpipes on the Highlander. They're run through the bumper rather than underneath. Nevermind. The Highlander's not that cool. After a closer inspection of the CUV's rear on the show floor, the exhaust exits discretely below the bumper. Those holes out back are just for simple reflectors.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota is starting to reveal details on its lineup for the Chicago Auto Show, which we've learned today will include the debut of the second-generation Highlander mid-size SUV and likewise the Highlander Hybrid. The big T hasn't given any other details on the vehicles, and neither have we seen spy shots of the new Highlander, so this one may actually turn out to be a surprise. The current Highlander is a big seller for Toyota, with 129,794 units being sold in 2006. That's down 5.2% from 2005's total of 137,409, but still a big number for a vehicle that potentially returns a meaty profit. We'll come back at you with all the info and live shots we get of these two vehicles from the floor of the 2007 Chicago Auto Show in early February.

[Source: Toyota]