The Toyota Highlander is back for the 2024 model year, and the automaker is making a few changes. For starters, the base trim is gone, as is the Bronze Edition trim—though the latter has been replaced by a new, darker Nightshade trim.
The loss of the L trim will make the biggest difference to the lineup in terms of pricing. Last year, the bare-bones trim started at $36,420, and since there is no equivalent for 2024, the lineup starts with the better-equipped LE trim, which has an MSRP of $39,120 (prices do not include $1,395 destination charge). Although that’s an increase of just $300 over the same model in 2023, it means that the base Highlander now costs $2,700 more to get into than it did last year.
The good news for Highlander buyers is that the model’s special edition trim is now cheaper than it was last year. Gone is the Bronze Edition, replaced by the Nightshade edition. Available on the LE and XLE variants of the Highlander hybrid, it adds a touch of darkness to the lineup, and starts at $41,720.
Read: 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Gets the Moody Nightshade Treatment
Buyers will be offered a choice of colors that includes Cement, Wind Chill Pearl, Midnight Black, or Ruby Flare Pearl. Regardless of paint, the package comes equipped with black 18-inch, five-spoke wheels, a black grille, black mirror caps, black door handles, black rear badging, a black rear spoiler, and a black shark fin antenna. In XLE trim, the equipment package also blacks out the roof rails.
Inside, the Nightshade trim offers black fabric trimmed seats for the LE models, or black two-tone Softex-trimmed seats with unique embossed fabric inserts and silver accent stitching in the XLE models.
The latter model also comes standard with heated front seats, a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, and captains chairs in the second row. Both models come with an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Customers who go for the XLE model can choose the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, though.
The Nightshade trim is only available on Highlander models equipped with Toyota’s hybrid powertrain. It combines a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with two electric motor-generators that together make 243 hp (181 kW/246 PS) and return an estimated 36 MPG (6.5 L/100 km) combined.
Alternatively, buyers can opt for the gas-only 2.4-liter inline four, which makes 265 hp (197 kW/268 PS) but returns only 25 MPG combined (9.4 L/100 km). Both options are unchanged from the 2023 model year.
What is new is the hands-free power liftgate convenience spec, which is now standard on all XLE and XSE models. Last year, it was only standard on the Limited and Platinum grades.