What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

whatcar.com August 2020 11

FIRST LOOK

Highlanderis a bitbiggerthanToyota’sLandCruiser

TOYOTAMAYBEknownasa hybrid

specialistthesedays,butnoneofthe

SUVsin itsline-upthatbenetfromthis

fuel-savingtechnologyhavebeenable

tocarrymorethanvepeople– untilnow.

TheHighlander– a largeSUVthatrivals

thelikesoftheHyundaiSantaFeandKia

Sorento– is therstToyotatocombine

hybridpowerwithsevenseats.

AlthoughtheHighlanderis already

onsaleelsewherein theworld,it’sa

newcomertoBritishroads.Asin some

otherToyotaandLexusmodels,it’s

poweredbya 2.5-litrepetrolengineand

twoelectricmotors– oneoneachaxle,

givingit four-wheeldrivewhenneeded.

Combinedpoweroutputis 241bhp,with

CO 2 emissionsof146g/kmandofcialfuel

economyofupto42.8mpg.

Inside,theHighlanderfeaturesa partly

digitalinstrumentcluster,a largecentral

infotainmenttouchscreenandanarrayof

buttonstocontrolfeaturessuchastheair

conditioningandseatheating.

TheHighlander’smiddlerowofseatscan

beslidforwardsandbackwards,allowing

buyerstoprioritiseeitherluggagespaceor

legroom.Withupto 658 litresofspaceon

offerin ve-seatmode,thebootis a decent

size,althoughmostrivalscanholdeven

more.Theelectrictailgateis hands-free;

youjustneedtowaveyourfootunderthe

rearbumpertoopenorcloseit.

TheHighlanderfeaturesUSBportsin

boththesecondandthirdrows,allowing

everyonetochargetheirdeviceson

Toyota Highlander

New large SUV offers seven seats

and economy-boosting hybrid

power On sale Early 2021

Pricefrom£37,000(est)

Asspacious,practicaland

goodtodriveasever,but

witha muchclassierinterior

SAYS

the move, while a digital rear-view mirror

provides an unobstructed view behind.

Standard safety equipment includes

automatic emergency braking that can

detect cyclists and pedestrians and steer

the car away from an oncoming impact,

plus adaptive cruise control and lane-

keeping assistance.

The Highlander is expected to be priced

from around £37,000, making it competitive

with the likes of the Santa Fe.

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Fast vRS versions of the

Octavia will go on sale

later this year. As well as a

197bhp diesel, there will

be a 242bhp plug-in

hybridwithanelectric

rangeof 37miles.

SkodaOctaviaEstate2.0TDI 150

SEL FirstEdition

BUYER’S FILE

Price £31,

Engine 4cyl, 1968cc, diesel

Power 148bhp @ 3000-4200rpm

Torque 266Ib ft @ 1700-2750rpm

Gearbox 7-spd dual-clutch automatic

0-62mph 8.8sec

Top speed 138mph

Economy 60.3mpg (combined)

CO 2 , tax band 123g/km, 31%

The Octavia Estate’s ace

card is undoubtedly its

boot, which dwarfs those

of its immediate rivals.

At 640 litres with the rear

seatbacks up (30 litres up

on the old estate, equating

to roughly one carry-on

suitcase), it matches the far

larger Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Estate’s capacity and is just

20 litres shy of the larger

Superb Estate’s hold. To put

it another way, the Octavia can swallow an

impressive nine carry-on cases.

A height-adjustable boot floor is available to

maximise boot space or create a flat loading

area with a tiny lip at the entrance, and there

are levers in the boot for convenient folding of

the rear seatbacks. The boot also benefits from

handy hooks, cubbies and load separators to

keep your cargo from sloshing about too much.

There’s no doubt that the new Octavia has

trodden a familiar path for the most part,

but there’s nothing wrong with that. Like its

predecessor, this is an exceptionally spacious

and practical car that soothes you as you

drive. The main difference

is the improvement in the

ambience of the interior.

As a result, it’s a better all-

rounder than ever.

The only problem with the

diesel versions is that they

aren’t yet compliant with

the latest RDE2 emissions

regulations, so company car

drivers will be hit with the

4% diesel surcharge until late

this year, when those engines

will be updated. Apart from that, the diesel

Octavia is a great option for high-mileage

drivers or those who need to tow regularly. For

everyone else, the much cheaper 1.5 TSI petrol

model could be an even smarter choice.

You get fast USB-C connectivity and pockets for phones

Huge boot features handy levers for folding rear seats

New Octavia has sharper looks than its predecessor

Darren Moss

[email protected]