2022 Toyota Highlander: Specifications, Powertrains and Used Buying Guide
Toyota Highlander (2022 model year) — this vehicle profile concentrates on the documented US configuration, not an assumed global specification. Generation or platform: XU70. Body type: SUV.
Market and model-year context
The 2022 Highlander belongs to the XU70 family SUV generation, a three-row crossover rather than an off-road Land Cruiser alternative. Its interest for buyers is in the separation between a conventional V6 and a hybrid powertrain and between ordinary family grades and styling-oriented editions. Toyota introduced a Bronze Edition specifically for hybrid buyers during this model year.
Powertrains and regional specification
The US XSE employs the 295-horsepower 3.5-litre V6 with an eight-speed automatic, while the hybrid uses a different four-cylinder-based electrified drive architecture. The V6’s available dynamic torque-vectoring AWD is not mechanically equivalent to electronic rear-motor hybrid AWD. 2022 V6 data should never be copied into the later four-cylinder turbo Highlander that appeared for a different model year.
Documented US versions
- US — XSE V6: 3.5L naturally aspirated V6; 295 hp; drive: FWD or available torque-vectoring AWD; transmission: 8-speed automatic. Recorded source details: output hp: 295.
- US — Hybrid Bronze Edition: 2.5L four-cylinder full hybrid; drive: FWD or available electronic AWD; transmission: hybrid transaxle. Recorded source details: trim scope: 2022 Bronze Edition is hybrid-only.
Who should consider this model
A Highlander suits households needing flexible occasional third-row seating but not necessarily the large adult space offered by a conventional minivan. The hybrid asks fewer charging-related questions than a PHEV and may fit stop-start commuting; the V6 can appeal to buyers prioritising traditional power delivery. The XSE suspension and wheel specification deserve an individual comfort test.
What to check on a used example
For a used 2022 vehicle, verify whether the third row is genuinely usable with the second row occupied, examine tire wear and check the cargo floor for water intrusion. Document whether the all-wheel-drive system and driver-assistance equipment shown in the listing match the actual trim. An owner’s brochure and maintenance history are more useful than an uncited reliability ranking.
Alternatives worth comparing
Cross-shop the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade for three-row packaging or the Toyota Sienna for sliding-door practicality. The smaller RAV4 Hybrid can be a better fit when the third row would remain folded most of the time. Trailer buyers should verify the exact vehicle’s certified tow rating instead of inferring it from engine displacement.
Limits of the available evidence
The hybrid-only Bronze Edition is not a new mechanical generation; no separate thin trim article is warranted. Only the sourced US model-year combinations are recorded here. This article makes no assumptions about 2022 Middle Eastern or Australian Highlander/Kluger specifications.