The Toyota Harrier is a mid-size crossover built mainly for the Japanese market. For the 2019 model year the Harrier was in its third generation, known by the code XU60, which ran from November 2013 to May 2020. A hybrid version, badged Harrier Hybrid, sat at the top of the range alongside a 2.0-liter gasoline model and a 2.0-liter turbo. The Harrier has been part of Toyota’s Japanese line-up since 1997 and, for its first decade, shared its body with the export-market Lexus RX.
Was There a 2019 Toyota Harrier Hybrid?
Yes. The Harrier Hybrid was a real production model in 2019, using Toyota’s power-split Hybrid Synergy Drive and the internal code AVU65 for the all-wheel-drive version. The third-generation Harrier had received a facelift in June 2017, which added a turbocharged engine and the Toyota Safety Sense P package as standard, and that revised car is what Japanese buyers got in 2019. The Harrier was not sold in the United States or Europe at the time.
For most of its life the Harrier was a Japan-only model, sold through Toyota dealerships rather than Lexus showrooms. From 2017 it began to be exported in small numbers: the XU60 Harrier was the first Harrier officially sold outside Japan, arriving in Singapore in July 2017 and Malaysia in November 2017.
Interior and Equipment
The Harrier was positioned as a more luxurious, road-focused alternative to the RAV4, with which it shared its platform. Japanese trims after the 2017 facelift were Elegance, Premium and Progress; the top trims could be specified with a “Metal and Leather” package. Toyota Safety Sense P brought adaptive cruise control, lane departure assist, a pre-collision system and automatic high beams as standard across the range. Top models used a JBL GreenEdge audio system with an 8-inch display.
The cabin seated five and emphasised comfort over the RAV4’s utility focus, with soft-touch materials and, on the upper grades, leather upholstery and powered, heated front seats.
Exterior and Styling
The XU60 Harrier kept a sleeker, more car-like silhouette than the RAV4, with a chrome grille, slim headlights and a distinctive stylized-bird emblem on the grille. The 2017 facelift introduced revised lighting and bumper details. Because it was derived from the RAV4 of the time, the Harrier shared that car’s basic dimensions and its front- and all-wheel-drive layouts, and Toyota launched several special editions over the run, including the Style Mauve, Style Ash and Style NOIR.
Engines and Hybrid System
The Harrier Hybrid used a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, code 2AR-FXE, developing 112 kW (152 PS) on its own. It was paired with a 105 kW front electric motor, and the all-wheel-drive version added a 50 kW rear motor. Toyota quoted a combined system output of 145 kW, about 194 to 197 PS, sent through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.
| Version | Engine / motor | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Harrier Hybrid | 2.5 L 2AR-FXE + 105 kW front motor | 145 kW combined (about 194 hp) |
| Harrier Hybrid 4WD | adds 50 kW rear motor | — |
| Harrier gasoline | 2.0 L 3ZR-FAE inline-4 | 111 kW (about 151 PS) |
| Harrier turbo | 2.0 L 8AR-FTS turbo inline-4 | 170 kW (about 228 hp) |
Gasoline and Turbo Models
Buyers who skipped the hybrid could choose one of two turbo-free or turbocharged gasoline engines. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 3ZR-FAE made 111 kW, or about 151 PS, and drove through a CVT. The turbocharged 2.0-liter 8AR-FTS, added in the 2017 facelift, made 170 kW, or about 228 hp, and used a six-speed automatic transmission. In Singapore the turbo was rated at 169 kW, or about 227 hp. All hybrid versions used the eCVT and could drive short distances on electricity alone at low speed. The 2017 facelift that introduced the turbo was confirmed in Toyota’s own press release, and Paultan reported the model’s Singapore and Malaysia launch plans.
Because the Harrier shared its New MC platform with the RAV4, it also shared that car’s basic body dimensions and suspension layout, but Toyota tuned the springs and damping for a softer, quieter ride to match its more premium positioning above the RAV4.
Toyota sold the Harrier through its Japanese dealer network with a long feature list that included navigation, an electronic toll-collection system and heated seats. In 2019 the hybrid was the most expensive and most economical version of the range.
Dimensions and Market Availability
The XU60 Harrier measured 4,720 to 4,770 mm in length, 1,835 mm in width and 1,690 mm in height, on a 2,660 mm wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 1,560 to 1,810 kg. It seated five. Front-wheel drive was standard and all-wheel drive was available. Buyers could not walk into a North American or European Toyota showroom and order one; the Harrier was a Japanese domestic model, with limited sales in Singapore and Malaysia from 2017, and it was never offered in the United States.
The Facelift and What Came Next
The June 2017 facelift dropped the former base Grand grade and made Elegance the entry point, replaced Premium with Progress at the top, and added the turbocharged model. The third-generation Harrier’s run ended in May 2020, when Toyota launched the fourth-generation XU80 on the TNGA platform. That newer car was later exported to North America and China as the Toyota Venza, which is how most non-Japanese buyers first encountered the nameplate.
Readers can compare the Harrier with the RAV4 in our 2019 Toyota RAV4 Release Date, Redesign and Price article, or read more on our 2019 Toyota Harrier Price, Review page. This feature is part of our wider Car Review coverage.
