The redesigned 2020 Toyota Highlander is a Top Safety Pick even with tougher criteria for the latest model year, the IIHS announced Thursday.
The three-row crossover SUV aced all six crash tests, and its ability to avoid forward collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians was rated “Superior.” The only thing keeping it from the highest TSP+ award was inferior headlights on all but the top trim levels.
The 2020 Toyota Highlander comes standard with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, lane-departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control. The automatic emergency braking feature was able to stop the large crossover from colliding with other vehicles and pedestrians in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests.
The Platinum trim earned “Good” ratings for its adaptive headlights with automatic high beams, while the Limited models earned an “Acceptable” rating. Headlights on the L, LE, and XLE trims rated “Poor” for shortcomings on visibility and for creating excessive glare for oncoming vehicles.
The Highlander joins the 2020 Cadillac XT6, 2020 Hyundai Palisade, 2020 Kia Sorento, 2020 Kia Telluride, 2020 Mazda CX-9, 2020 Subaru Ascent, and 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE as three-row crossovers with TSP awards.
The Highlander has yet to be crashed by the NHTSA but we expect it to earn the same five-star rating as the outgoing 2019 model.
