Power has never defined the Toyota Harrier in over 23 years - Here’s what it stood for

  • The premium SUV market was shaped by the Toyota Harrier
  • Four generations, only one had a turbo
  • But power has never been what the Harrier is about

It’s obvious by now that SUVs are the current flavour of the automotive world. Even at the upper echelon of cars, there’s an SUV option like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Lamborghini Urus. If we were to trace this back to where it all began, it would be the Toyota Harrier.

Development work for the first-generation Toyota Harrier began as early as 1994 and by 1997, it was shown to the world. In Japan, it was launched as the Toyota Harrier while the rest of the world saw it as the first-generation Lexus RX (XU10).

Why the parallel with Lexus?

Lexus SLV (Sport Luxury Vehicle) Concept

Well, Lexus was created to penetrate the premium/luxury market in the US. Toyota already knew how to cater to its home market, the Toyota Century is evidence to that, so the Lexus brand wasn’t officially introduced in Japan until 2005.

Instead, there were parallel models like the Toyota Harrier (Lexus RX), Toyota Altezza (Lexus IS), etc.

Back to the first-generation Toyota Harrier. The goal was to combine the on-road performance of a luxury sedan and the go-anywhere ability of an SUV. Remember, this was a time when the BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne weren’t even a thing.

It was offered with a 3.0-litre V6 or a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder engine, with drive sent either to the front wheels or all four wheels for the 3.0-litre variant. A 4-speed automatic was the sole transmission option.

The 2.2-litre variant weighed 1,590 kg and the engine made 140 PS/191 Nm, which meant pace was leisurely at best. The facelifted model replaces the 2.2-litre with a 2.4-litre mill that makes 160 PS/221 Nm. For those who wanted more poke, the 3.0-litre V6 engine churned out 220 PS/301 Nm. A 4-speed automatic transmission comes as standard.

In Malaysia, XU10-generation Harrier was not officially available but there were plenty of grey imports that captured a sizeable chunk of the then-new luxury crossover/SUV segment. Due to our road tax structure, there were more 2.2-litre and 2.4-litre models than the 3.0-litre. 

However, owners rarely complained about the lack of power, because the Harrier delivered what people wanted – comfort and refinement wrapped in an upscale crossover/SUV body that gives good ground clearance, visibility, as well as practicality. This is what the Harrier stood for.

In the US, the first-generation Lexus RX sold over 370,000 units within 5 years, making up more than half of what the company sells.

Come 2003, the second-generation Toyota Harrier (XU30) was put on the market. The brief was simple – make everything better. And it was. It’s bigger, more aerodynamically efficient, and was packed to brim with features like adaptive headlamps, electric adjustment for the steering wheel, air suspension, etc.

Engine options included the carried-over 2.4-litre engine and 3.0-litre V6 engine, plus a 3.5-litre V6 that makes 272 PS/342 Nm, paired to a new 5-speed automatic transmission.

Like the XU10 Harrier, the XU30 flooded the reconditioned car market with the majority of them equipped with the 2.4-litre engine. It wasn’t fast, but it sure was comfortable.

The parallel with Lexus stopped in 2008 when the third-generation Lexus RX was unveiled, and by then Lexus had already retailed in Japan. So the XU30-generation Harrier soldiered for 10 years, until 2013.

The third-generation Toyota Harrier (XU60) was unveiled in 2013 and without ties to Lexus, there were no V6 engines available. At its point of introduction, powertrain option included a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with 151 PS/193 Nm and a 2.5-litre hybrid.

Without tax incentives for fully-imported hybrids, it’s obvious which powertrain was chosen by parallel importers. And again, people were snapping up the Harrier despite having “only” a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated (NA) engine.

But things became interesting in 2018 when UMW Toyota decided to offer the facelifted XU60 Harrier with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. The 8AR-FTS engine made 231 PS/350 Nm and pretty much shook the entire grey market as the pre-facelift model only had the 2.0-litre NA engine.

This is the odd one out in the Harrier lineage, and has perhaps created certain expectations for its replacement model. But for a generation (or half), the XU60 facelift offered everything people love about the Harrier with the added grunt of a turbo.

It would’ve been interesting to see the continuation of the turbocharged engine in the fourth-generation (XU80) Toyota Harrier but alas, emissions regulations prohibited it.

Also read: No more 231 PS turbocharged engine for all-new 2021 Toyota Harrier, this is why

Like the pre-facelift XU60 Harrier, there's no turbocharged option. In Japan, the XU80 Harrier is available with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Dynamic Force engine and a 2.5-litre hybrid. And once again, the choice is clear on which powertrain option would make its way onto our shores.

Then again, those who are in the market for didn’t seem all that bothered that it is down on power, as the 2021 stocks of XU80 Toyota Harrier were sold out in a week.

Also read: Toyota Harrier will fail in Malaysia? It just hit its 2021 sales target in 1 week

Perhaps this is merely returning to tradition. Comfort, refinement, and reliability wrapped in an upscale SUV package. Power be damned.

Also read: 

Pros and Cons: 2021 Toyota Harrier – Lacks power but that’s beside the point

Review: 2021 Toyota Harrier 2.0 Luxury - Do you really miss the turbo?

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Shaun

Senior Writer

The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable one...

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