Even though it has America's best-selling mid-size sedan (Camry) and also the most successful pickup truck of the mid-size sector on the market (2023 Tacoma), Toyota wasn't able to keep up with the tidal wave assault of the biggest of the Big Three Detroit automakers - General Motors - during the first half of the year.
And it's not because of a lack of trying. The Japanese automaker kicked off a veritable volcano spree of introductions this year with models like the reinvented and reintroduced S235 Crown sedan-crossover, the 2023 Prius 'Hybrid Reborn' including in 220-hp Prime plug-in form, 2023 Corolla Cross (coming instead of the departing, smaller C-HR), the Corolla Nightshade family, and many more – like the trio of special editions for the GR models.
Oh, wait, we did not even talk about the year's heroes, right? Well, those include stuff like the 2024 Grand Highlander three-row family-oriented crossover, as well as the N400 fourth generation of the best-selling Tacoma pickup truck. But that is not all, and not even remotely, because the company will soon kick everything into an even higher gear with the reintroduction of the Land Cruiser nameplate.
However, these folks are usually two steps ahead of OEMs when it comes to the rumor mill and the section of the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. For example, while Toyota incessantly teases the return of the Land Cruiser nameplate, the whisperers are already discussing potential other introductions like the 4Runner off-road SUV or the Highlander crossover.
Speaking of the latter, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube have a satellite venue dubbed AutoYa Interior, and that's where all the (CGI) Toyota action is happening right now. So, not long after they discussed the hypothetical preview of the 2025 Land Cruiser 250 or Prado, the channel's resident pixel master also took a digital swing at the upcoming facelift for the XU70 fourth-generation Highlander CUV.
If you think about it, that is quite logical – especially if you look at the longer-wheelbase Grand Highlander and its better aesthetics based on the latest Toyota design language. The channel thought this to be long in the making, so they now have a fresher CGI take on the Highlander matters – and we also embedded the old renderings in the gallery for a quick comparison.
The video embedded below, as always, should be taken with a healthy dose of salt as nothing is official from Toyota just yet. But truth be told, the 2024 Highlander looks excellent with the reworked front fascia and a bunch of (unofficial) ritzy colors – both inside and outside. So, which hue combination is your favorite, and does this hypothetical digital project warrant our CGI hall pass or not?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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