57
NEW AND FUTURE CARS
2020
ROLLS-ROYCE
GHOST
ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST: ANDREI AVARVARII
ON SALE:
Mid-2020
BASE PRICE:
$325,000 (est)Entry-level Rolls-Royce. That’s a weird
sentence, isn’t it? Well, you’ve got to
start somewhere, and since around 2010,
the Rolls-Royce Ghost has served as
the lowest rung on Rolls’ gilded, ruby-
encrusted ladder. The Ghost hasn’t been
refreshed often since its introduction,
only seriously going under the knife
in 2014 for the updated Series II that
continues through to today.
Now that the all-new Phantom and
Cullinan are taken care of, the Ghost (and
presumably the two-door Wraith) are next
in line for upgrades. The new baby Rolls
has already been spotted out and about
under camo, and from the looks of things,
it’s more of the same—only better.
Like all new Rolls-Royces from here
on out, the Ghost will be underpinned
by the marque’s aluminum spaceframe,
obnoxiously called “The Architecture of
Luxury,” which will help make the new car
lighter, stiffer, and quieter than before.
We expect the same 6.75-liter twin-turbo
V-12 found in the Cullinan and Phantom
to be the new Ghost’s sole engine choice,
mated to standard all-wheel drive,
perhaps plucked from the Cullinan. Power
should be in the neighborhood of the 563-
hp and 663-lb-ft waterline of the Phantom
and Cullinan, though more is reasonable.
Inside and out, expect a toned-down,
two-thirds-scale Phantom. Rolls wasn’t
particularly happy about the BMW
componentry in the current Ghost, so
look for a much more bespoke cockpit.
Still, a reskinned version of BMW’s iDrive
likely runs the infotainment.
Pricing shouldn’t be too far off of the
current car, which starts at $314,400. If
two-doors or drop-tops are more your
style, wait a couple more years for the
updated Wraith and Dawn, respectively.
Look for the updated Ghost to make its
debut sometime early next year.Today’s Highlander is a far cry
from its Y2K debut and looks more
futuristic than its 2014 refresh. The
fourth-gen Highlander shares its
Toyota New Global Architecture
platform with the Avalon, Camry,
Corolla, C-HR, Prius, and RAV4.
Toyota’s premium hauler is available
in L, LE, XLE, Limited, and Platform
trims. A hybrid is coming in all
variants except the L early next year.
The Highlander’s 2.7-liter I-4 has been
ditched, but the 3.5-liter V-6 with
295 hp and 263 lb-ft is still available,
mated to an eight-speed automatic.
All-wheel drive is optional, and the
Highlander can tow up to 5,000pounds. Fuel economy is expected at
20/26 city/highway mpg with all-wheel
drive. Upper trims get dynamic torque
vectoring for better road responsiveness.
The other engine option is a 2.5-liter
I-4 paired with two motors to offer a
combined 240 horses. It runs on an
efficient Atkinson cycle and is mated to
an updated CVT. The old-school nickel-
metal hydride batteries are stowed under
the back seat, and its all-electric range is
limited, as is its towing capacity of 3,500
pounds. The new Highlander gains 2.4
inches in length and wheelbase over the
previous generation and offers 16.1 cubic
feet of storage behind the third row. An
upgraded Toyota Safety Sense bundle of
active safety features is standard. There’s
also an optional 12.3-inch touchscreen
instead of the standard 8.0-inch unit.
Depending on trim, the seven- or eight-
passenger Highlander is available in five
new flavors: Blueprint, Magnetic Gray
Metallic, Moon Dust, Opulent Amber,
and Ruby Flare Pearl, as well as holdover
shades Blizzard Pearl, Celestial Silver
Metallic, and Midnight Black Metallic.ON SALE:
December 2019
BASE PRICE:
$32,000 (est)2020
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER