(March 15, 2020) Toyota recently kicked off sales of the all-new 2020 Highlander with a pretty adventurous Super Bowl ad. So you might think now would be the time to pause and take a well-deserved victory lap. Think again. Production of the hybrid version of the Highlander has already begun and there are plans to expand its reach with the addition of the Highlander XSE — due to go on sale as a 2021 model this fall.

“The response to the all-new 2020 Highlander has been amazing,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president of Marketing. “Even though it’s only been out a month, we’re already taking it to the next level. And that’s the XSE.”

Like the XSE variants of Camry, Avalon, RAV4 and Corolla that preceded it, the newest addition to the Highlander line aims to deliver styling and performance that quickens the pulse.

For example, its bold new exterior includes:

    A sportier grille with a unique insert
    Front and side rocker moldings
    Blacked-out accents
    A twin-tip exhaust
    20-inch wheels exclusive to the XSE

Step inside and you’ll find exclusive two-tone seats, as well as other distinctive XSE styling elements. “This might be the boldest interior we’ve ever achieved in a Highlander,” said Laukes.

That being said, there’s more to the Highlander XSE than pure aesthetics. Laukes also touted it as “the best-handling Highlander in the lineup,” thanks in part to an all-new sport-tuned suspension, as well as Dynamic Torque Vectoring for its all-wheel drive powertrain.