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The 2023 Toyota Highlander abandons the miserable and thirsty V6 engine in favor of a cleaner, greener, and more muscular turbocharged four-pot.

While products like the GR Supra and GR Corolla attract the eye, they contribute very little to Toyota's balance sheets. In fact, the RAV4 and Highlander carry Toyota most of the time, giving excellent sales numbers and a stronger reputation. The Toyota Highlander is the second-most important product for the Japanese automaker after the best-selling RAV4.

The Highlander serves well for people looking for a larger sibling to the RAV4, and it never disappoints. However, Toyota has hardly brought something new to the table since introducing the new generation of Highlander in 2019. Thus, it started to fall behind its competitors and started to look feeble in front of them.

Fortunately, Toyota addressed this problem this year with an important mid-cycle refresh of the Highlander. The 2023 Toyota Highlander arrives with a bunch of crucial changes and a starting price tag of $36,420. While Toyota has made several changes to the Highlander this year, the biggest news is the replacement of the V6 engine. Yes! You have heard us right.

Toyota has finally axed the ailing 3.5-liter V6 and replaced it with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the Lexus NX 350. While we leave other sides of the Highlander to be discussed in some other article, let's talk about Toyota's wizardry behind making the Highlander more powerful and fuel-efficient at the same time.

Related: Here’s Why The Toyota Highlander Should Receive More Credit

Toyota has finally answered the prayers of potential Highlander buyers and given the new Highlander a crucial powertrain change it desperately needed. As we all know, V-engines are the least fuel-efficient and contribute greatly to air pollution. With both stricter norms and more mileage demand from the buyers, Toyota has finally decided to trim the 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 engine from the Highlander.

Remember the 2022 Lexus NX, which debuted last year with a new look and a redesigned engine? Toyota has taken the T24A-FTS 2.4-liter turbocharged straight-four engine from the NX, modified it, and installed it in the 2023 Highlander.

Hence, the 2023 Toyota Highlander now features a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that makes 265 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 310 lb-ft of torque between 1700 and 3600 RPM, 30 hp less power and 47 lb-ft more punch than the previous engine.

Toyota has made some important changes to the 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four mill. The engine’s crankshaft is installed with an offset of 10 mm to reduce the friction inside the engine, leading to better fuel economy and 17% more torque.

On top of these, Toyota has used an Atkinson-type engine and mated it to a twin-scroll type turbocharger with a conventional vacuum WGT actuator to mine the maximum power from the engine and optimize the fuel economy.

Above all these, the Highlander comes standard with an automatic Start-Stop system that shuts the engine when the vehicle is at rest and immediately turns on the engine once the driver removes their feet from the brake pedal.

With all these advancements incorporated, the engine is more efficient and greener than before. According to Toyota, the new Highlander returns 25 MPG combined and cuts the NOx and NMOG emissions by at least 50% compared to the previous V6 engine.

While Toyota has fitted the new Highlander with a smaller 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, leaving the gas-guzzling 3.5-liter V8 behind, the turbocharged engine offers better performance than before. In fact, we expect the new Highlander to be slightly faster than the previous V6-powered model because of its faster power delivery.

The new turbocharged engine achieves peak power at much lower revs. The engine reaches 265 horsepower at 600 RPM less and a healthier 310 lb-ft of torque starts kicking in from 1700 RPM to 3600 RPM. Hence, we expect the Highlander to cross the 60 MPH mark in under 6.5 seconds.

With a meaty 310 lb-ft of torque readily on offer, the Highlander still offers 5,000 pounds of towing capacity. Additionally, Toyota has added Trailer Sway Control and Vehicle Stability Control to reduce unwanted trailer movement and help with better towing control.

The 2023 Highlander also comes with a new all-wheel-drive system. The optional AWD system in the lower models includes a 50:50 front-rear torque distribution feature and a limited-slip differential for increased towing capabilities and off-road grip. Higher models like XSE, Limited, and Platinum also get some performance upgrades.

New and upmarket features like Dynamic Torque Vectoring with drive mode select and Driveline Disconnect Function ensure proper torque distribution on the rear wheels. The AWD system comes with a feature called the AWD Integrated Management System that works in tandem with the electric power steering column, throttle control, and transmission shift control to offer a dynamic driving experience and optimize off-road performance.

Related: 10 Things To Know Before Buying The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Apart from the turbocharged four-cylinder engine models, Toyota also sells a hybrid variant of the Highlander, offering buyers a more fuel-efficient and punchier engine. The Highlander’s hybrid unit consists of a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that powers two electric motors outfitted at the front and rear axles. This unit offers a combined output of 243 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque.

While this engine focuses primarily on fuel economy, it can tow up to 3,500 pounds and return combined mileage of 35 MPGe. Based on independent testing results, the hybrid Highlander can do the 0-to-60 mph acceleration in 7.3 seconds. Furthermore, the Highlander Hybrid comes with four modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, and EV, as well as a regenerative braking function that keeps charging the 1.9 kWh battery on the go.

Sourav hails from Siliguri, a city very close to the Himalayas in the northern part of West Bengal, India. Anything that has to do with wheels fascinates him. He has a soft spot for Lexus and BMW. He rides a Royal Enfield Thunderbird and is often seen with his group of friends in nearby hill stations. He also loves doing photography and making music. After working with CARHP and CAR INDIGO for more than 15 months, he joined HotCars to continue in automotive writing. He's currently crushing upon the Triumph Tiger 1200.