Four inches longer and three wider, but still looks compact. I expected much more from the styling.

The interior is well finished, with good padding on doors, none of the crazy sci-fi details seen in some other recent Toyotas, and much less cheap plastic than in the 2007 Camry.

Nothing special other than a second-row center seat that stores under the front center console and snaps into place, to convert captains to a bench. This seat was stowed in the intro vehicle, so I had no chance to sit in it. But in photos it looks very narrow and uncomfortable.

On sale in July. New Hybrid on sale in September. The Hybrid gets VDIM, which includes Toyota’s hopelessly vague active steering.

Second impression upon adding the photos: I am increasingly disappointed by the exterior. It’s only marginally better than the first Highlander, at a time when the competition is advancing rapidly. I also now notice that the instrument binnacle looks quite odd, with a hump atop twin pods. So much for “no crazy sci-fi details.” It’ll sell to the Toyota faithful, but won’t conquest many new sales.