The 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is based on the Highlander SUV that first arrived in 2001, which itself was a modified version of the 1998 Lexus RX 300. Upgraded significantly in 2004, with a bigger engine, an upgraded transmission, and third-row seating, the Toyota Highlander now adds a Hybrid version that benefits from all recent upgrades and, at the same time, borrows technology from the Prius, using a variation of its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain.
For this newest application of Hybrid Synergy Drive, the battery is larger and the electric motor spins twice as fast, developing twice the power. Combined with a 3.3-liter, DOHC, 24-valve V6 gasoline engine that produces 230 horsepower and 242 lb.-ft. of torque, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is good for 268 horsepower. Toyota boasts that it delivers the performance of a V8, and says that the hybrid model is expected to outrun the gasoline version of the standard Highlander in some performance tests, such as acceleration from zero to sixty, for instance. Toyota reports a time in the low 7-second range, with the 4WD version paradoxically making the run faster.
To properly modulate power delivery, Toyota employs an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a planetary gear unit for gear reduction and an electronic all-wheel-drive control system. The engine benefits from revisions to the Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Electronic Throttle Control systems (ETC) that provide smooth integration with the hybrid system. In the mid-size SUV segment, utility is important, and this transmission should help the Highlander Hybrid maximize load-carrying ability. The Highlander Hybrid can tow up to 3,500 lbs., as compared to the smaller Escape Hybrid, which is rated to tow 1,000 lbs.
The CVT will also help contribute to fuel economy that is usually associated with compact, "econo-box" sedans. Toyota claims 30 mpg in a combined city and highway cycle for the 2WD model, and 28 mpg for the 4WD version. The deal with many hybrids, of course, is that mileage increases in the city, because the engine shuts itself off at stops and regenerative braking charges the battery. So a "combined" cycle is highly variable, depending on your style of driving.
With 2WD, the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid's front wheels do the driving. The available 4WD-i system (i, for intelligence) is supplemented by front and rear electric motors that provide a proper balance of power to all four wheels, when needed. This "on-demand system" electronically varies torque from the front, which is the standard drive mode, to the rear, depending on traction needs. Fully-independent MacPherson strut suspension, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel-disc brakes with ABS highlight and support Highlander's hardware.
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