[앵커] Domestic electric vehicle demand is decreasing.
Lack of charging infrastructure and fire risk are pointed out as the main causes.
Accordingly, hybrid models that combine the advantages of internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles are emerging.
Reporter Kim Hong-mo rode the semi-large SUV ‘Highlander’, which has become a steady seller in the North American market since its first launch in 2001.
[스탠딩] While there are brands that launch new cars every year with a rich lineup, there are automakers that select a few models to suit the local market.
There are also brands with zero new cars this year.
However, unlike what they have done so far, there is a brand that is aggressively targeting the Korean market by releasing new cars in each segment.
It’s Toyota.
Five new cars are being launched, including the RAV4 Hybrid, Crown Crossover, Highlander, Alphard, and Prius.
The car I will drive today is the Highlander, a semi-large SUV.
When buying a car, if I say I usually ride alone and like to drive as much as I want, I would choose a two-door coupe with good engine power and a sleek appearance, or if I would use it for work, I would choose a car with a large cargo space.
If I were to consider the reason for purchasing this Highlander, I think it would be a family car, that is, a dad’s car.
A spacious interior thanks to the large body, three rows of seats, and a driving experience that reduces fatigue.
Although I am a bachelor who lives alone, I will look at this car from the perspective of a father of two children.
My first impression of the Highlander was when I looked at it from a distance and my first thought was, “Why is the car so big?”
It felt similar to Chevrolet’s large SUV Tahoe. The bonnet height of this Tahoe was at the height of my chest, so I immediately measured the height of the bonnet of this Highlander and found that it was a little lower than that, around the solar plexus.
It is higher than the Carnival, which is considered the representative dad car in Korea. While the Carnival has a design that slopes down as if leaning forward, the Highlander has a square shape with sharp horizontal angles, giving it a solid impression.
If you look at the front, the emblem catches your eye.
There is an emblem the size of my palm and a large piece of chrome surrounding it, and the bonnet character line continues as if shading above it.
When sitting in the driver’s seat, unique interior elements not seen in other models come into view.
When it comes to automobile manufacturers with the most plain and standard designs, I think of Toyota first, so these points felt especially significant to me.
A concave storage cabinet wrapped in leather was created in the space that would have been filled with plastic in front of the first row, and a wireless charging pad is installed in the storage space below the center fascia display.
The console box that separates the driver’s seat and passenger seat is deeply designed to hold most items.
Additionally, a wide-angle mirror is installed so that you do not have to turn your head to check if the children in the backseat are okay while driving.
I was surprised at how different the driving feeling I had imagined and the feeling I felt when driving the Highlander were so different.
I thought it was heavy enough to match the body of the car, but when I actually drove it, the feeling I got was that it was really light.
Even when moving forward from a stop, you just press the sole of your foot forward without careful accelerator operation, and the car moves smoothly as if you were paying attention, and the handling is done lightly as you turn your wrist left and right.
I felt like it was a consideration designed to make driving less difficult and completely reduce stress.
Of course, it is stable enough that you will not feel any significant discomfort from shaking or bouncing of the vehicle body even when going over bumps or sharp curves.
I can’t help but look at the 2nd and 3rd row space for my family.
The 2nd row floor is relatively flat, the space leading to the 3rd row is low so it is easy to move around, and there is plenty of space to place cups, perhaps because it is assumed that many people will ride.
Additionally, the sunroof opens wide enough to make people behind you feel less cramped, and the parking camera measures the distance concisely and accurately without being crude and conveys the surrounding environment to the driver.
The 2nd and 3rd row seats are equipped with a flat folding function that allows you to carry more luggage or enjoy a car stay.
When I drive a Toyota car, I often feel the brand’s unique analog sensibility. In the case of the RAV4, the center fascia display has the feel of an old TV, and the CD player is mounted at the top, which evokes a lot of nostalgia, but I found it interesting that the Highlander has a storage space under the left side of the driver’s seat where you can leave a pack of cigarettes or keys.
So far, we have looked at Toyota’s ‘Highlander’, the standard all-rounder and hexagonal all-rounder family SUV, which is bulky at nearly 2 tons but has a combined fuel efficiency of 13.8 km/l.
This is Kim Hong-mo from Pax Economy TV.
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2023-10-31 06:20:12
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