Every year, a panel of experts from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) vote for the best new automotive technology presented to them by manufacturers at their annual Test Fest in Shannoville, Ontario.

The final entry for this year is Toyota's Hybrid synergy Drive (HSD) system in the 2006 Toyota Highlander. Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system was first introduced in the Prius sedan. Now the Highlander is using this hybrid system. The HSD system has had a big impact on how vehicle buyers perceive hybrids, and as Toyota introduces it on more models, it will have a significant impact on the marketplace.

The Highlander HSD is a series-parallel drive system. This means it can run on electricity alone, gasoline alone, or a combination of both of them. Three electric motors are used. Toyota refers to them as Motor/Generator units such as MG1 or MG2. Two of the MG units are located in the transaxle unit under the hood. Like a conventional vehicle, the transaxle is mounted to a gasoline engine, in this case a 3.3 litre DOHC V6 engine. A third electric motor/generator is mounted at the rear of the SUV and provides the driving force for the rear wheels.

Using the combination of the three electric motors and the V6 gas engine, the Highlander produces 268 horsepower. The strong torque of the electric motors makes it seem like much more. Overall, the HSD system adds only 136 kg to the weight of the Hybrid Highlander compared to a conventional Highlander.

For information on new and pre-owned Toyota models, contact your fav Toyota Dealer in Charlottesville, VA.

http://toyota.brownautos.com