UMW Toyota has quietly started delivery of the new Toyota Harrier. This comes after its preview at the recent Malaysia Auto Show 2017 which was held in November last year. According to the official distributors of Toyota in Malaysia the first few units have already been delivered to their new owners.
The new 2018 Toyota Harrier is one of UMW Toyota's response to the competitive market and its desire to gain lost ground in terms of market share. Last year it was reported that Toyota has a 12% market share making them joint third with Proton in terms of 2017 total sales after Honda and leaders Perodua. UMW Toyota have now brought in models which were once only available through grey market importers like the new Harrier.
Prices for the new Toyota Harrier start at RM238,000 here in Peninsular Malaysia and it will come with a 5 year warranty with unlimited mileage. UMW Toyota also provides for genuine replacement parts for the mid sized crossover SUV. Two versions will be available – the Harrier 2.0T Premium and Harrier 2.0T Luxury which has additional equipment. The Harrier comes with 4 colour choices for variety.
Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor said, “We are encouraged by the response to the introduction of the all-new Toyota Harrier in Malaysia. As the earlier generations were intended only for the Japanese domestic market, we were unable to sell them officially. However, Toyota Motor Corporation has now decided to offer it outside Japan and we are among the first countries to sell it officially.”
The fully imported Harrier 2.0T comes with Toyota'S 8AR-FTS 2-litre 4 cylinder direct injected, variable valve timing (VVT-iW - Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Wide) turbocharged petrol engine. It makes a very decent 231ps and a meaty 350Nm torque. The power is transmitted through a 6 speed EDT gearbox.
The latest generation of the Harrier is not based on the Lexus LX platform as previously. It is based on the Toyota MU platform of which it shares with the Toyota RAV4. It is not a rebadged Lexus LX and there is no Lexus equal. The new Harrier is also very sporty in styling. It has a sharp aerodynamically-angled grille and incorporates a hawk (Harrier bird) emblem. Malaysia basically gets the recent facelift version as it was only launched mid-2017.
The Malaysian specced Harrier will come with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) Package. This is essentially Toyota's Active Safety systems. The Harrier has Pre-Crash System, Adaptive Cruise Control (above), Lane Keeping System, Lane Departure Alert and Adaptive High-Beam System (below) are part of the TSS Package.
The usual Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC) - soon mandatory for all new cars in Malaysia, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Emergency Stop Signal (flashes the rear hazard warning lamps to warn following drivers in an emergency braking situation), Electronic Parking Brake + Auto Brake Hold, a lot of airbags for the occupants inside and Parking Sensors with Reverse Camera are also included.
The new Harrier is loaded with equipment and technology. It also seems reasonably priced considering what is offered inside. This compact looking mid-sized SUV should be a hit with Malaysians who can afford it. Going by what is offered by the grey importers, the starting price offered seems to be only slightly pricier than a full specced grey import from 2015. Add the better features - this 2018 model is the facelifted one with Toyota Safety Sense and a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty for better peace of mind, it actually makes more sense to buy the Harrier brand new.
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