TRAY SEXY

WILL TOYOTA'S THOUGHTFUL INTERIOR TOUCHES BE ENOUGH TO FEND OFF THE COMPETITION?

- ZACH GALE

One of the hottest-selling SUVs in the country is back, and its maker is tired—tired—of competitors muscling in on its turf.

Redesigned for 2020, the Toyota Highlander demands your attention with exactly the same formula it’s used for almost two decades—wait, that’s not right. Actually, the 2020 Highlander builds on its winning formula with more than just comfort, convenience, and a reputation for reliability. The three-row family hauler boasts improvements that should attract more buyers. But can it challenge the popular Ford Explorer and SUV of the Year–winning Kia Telluride?

The 2020 Highlander rides on a new advanced platform, but what really defines this new family hauler is a revised storage tray. Yes, really.

First off, don’t knock it until you’ve lived with it—and my sister has. The look of that decidedly unalluring tray put her off during a test drive, but the slim space proved practical the entire time she owned a current Highlander. Extending under the center of the dash and across to the passenger side, the tray in the redesigned Highlander now features a more pronounced separation between the center stack and the passenger side. That change should help prevent your other half’s sunglasses and phone from sliding into your mints and charging cable.

Sexy, right? There are plenty more changes where that tray came from. In a turbocharged world, Toyota keeps things natural. Eschewing the forced-induction trend we’ve seen with the Explorer, Subaru Ascent, and others, the 2020 Highlander’s heart remains a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6.