The Toyota Harrier is now on sale in the Japan and unsuitable market dynamics for non essential goods could have lead to a muted response for the SUV that would seem normal. According to information published on Japanese site Creative311.com, the 2021 Toyota Harrier could be immune to the effects of COVID-19, receiving over 27,000 orders from customers. Creative311 has close ties with Toyota’s retail channel and has reported information regularly on schedules and numbers of Japanese market models.
As of June 24, it is said that there are over 27,000 backorders, and for some grades and options, the maximum delivery time is half a year or more, and the longest delivery (waiting period) is at the end of February 2021, Creative311.com reported (translated). Note that Toyota has not given guidance on the bookings but stated that the monthly sales target is 3,100 Harriers though it won’t be the first time that Toyota or another Japanese manufacturer underestimated demand for an SUV.
Toyota’s Harrier SUV has been in existence since 1997, but not in India. The fourth-gen model has a bolder design and is shorter than the current model with a longer hood and a dropping roofline. The new Harrier gets sleek LED headlamp design with a big grille, LED tail lamp with a LED strip running across the width of the boot and a Panorama roof with electric shades.
The new Harrier, as in previous generations, is the recipient of a hybrid powertrain. The Harrier Hybrid gets a 2.5-litre petrol engine along with the Toyota Hybrid System II and is available in both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. While the petrol engine offers a maximum power of 178 PS and a peak torque of 221 Nm, the front-wheel-drive version gets an electric motor mounted on the front axle with a power and torque output of 88 kW (120 PS) and 202 Nm. The four-wheel-drive version gets electric motors on either axle with the rear motor developing 40 kW (54 PS) of power and 121 Nm of torque. Toyota has equipped the normal variant of the Harrier with a direct shift CVT and the hybrid variants get an electric CVT unit.
The hybrid variant features a 100-volt/1,500-watt accessory power outlet which not only allows the use of electrical appliances that use the home power outlets but enables the car to be utilized as a power generator during a power cut.
The 2021 Toyota Harrier rides on the TNGA (GA-K) platform which Toyota claims has a highly rigid body with a low center of gravity to offer the perfect balance of ride comfort and vehicle driving performance with driver sensitivity given impetus.
The 2021 Harrier is loaded with the Toyota Safety Sense pack that has a pre-collision safety system to detect pedestrians during the day and at night, as well as cyclists during the day. It comes with Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Parking Support Brakes (Stationary Objects) that helps minimize and/or mitigate damage from collisions during low-speed driving in parking lots, etc.
The SUV’s infotainment has been upgraded with a T-Connect SD navigation system featuring a 12.3-inch TFT wide touch-display screen with SmartDeviceLink (SDL) and smartphone connectivity. The interior is appointed with the JBL premium sound system (9 speakers) to create a “realistic acoustic space.”
The Harrier is rebadged as the 2021 Toyota Venza in the USA market.
Toyota Harrier Hybrid Price (Japan)
| Toyota Harrier Hybrid Variant | Layout | Price (Japanese yen) |
| S | Front-wheel drive | 3,580,000 |
| S | E-Four (4WD) | 3,800,000 |
| G | Front-wheel drive | 4,000,000 |
| G | E-Four (4WD) | 4,220,000 |
| G Leather Package | Front-wheel drive | 4,300,000 |
| G Leather Package | E-Four (4WD) | 4,520,000 |
| Z | Front-wheel drive | 4,520,000 |
| Z | E-Four (4WD) | 4,740,000 |
| Z Leather Package | Front-wheel drive | 4,820,000 |
| Z Leather Package | E-Four (4WD) | 5,040,000 |
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