Toyota has finally revealed the Grand Highlander, a larger-than-Kluger SUV that will sit above the Highlander (sold as Kluger locally) in North America. To be built in the US, the Grand Highlander will offer three powertrains – including a 270kW 2.4-litre turbo hybrid option – and either seven- or eight-seats. Toyota Australia is yet to confirm the Grand Highlander for local sales just yet.
“There is definitely a need in the market for a midsize-SUV that prioritises interior comfort in all three rows and Grand Highlander is the ultimate option,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota USA Marketing.
“This new three-row model takes the Highlander legacy to an entirely new space while also keeping on our promise to deliver on electrification. Highlander was the first model in its segment to offer a hybrid powertrain in the US back in 2006 and Grand Highlander further expands on our electrification leadership.”
Using the same ‘TNGA-K’ platform as the regular Highlander/Kluger, the Grand Highlander is more than a stretched version of Toyota’s very successful SUV. There’s been a clear restyling of the car from front to rear, with a new face and some RAV4-esque tailights to differentiate it from the regular Highlander/Kluger. The body is boxier as well, for greater practicality.
Under the bonnet of the Toyota Grand Highlander is a choice of three drivetrains: the 198kW 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine that’s due soon in the Kluger, the 186kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid that takes the lion’s share of sales locally and Toyota’s new ‘Hybrid Max’ drivetrain that also serves in the Lexus range.
Combining a new 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors (one on the front axle and one on the rear), it makes 270kW of power and 542Nm of torque. Its claimed 0-60mph time (0-96km/h) is just 6.3 seconds, and its braked towing capacity is 2,268kg.
The interior of the Toyota Grand Highlander takes a less different approach to the exterior versus the regular Highlander/Kluger, with less changes and a very similar overall look. The dashboard has a more squared off look with even more storage, while both the second- and third-row of seating are larger than the already capacious Highlander/Kluger. According to Toyota, there’s a huge 2,775-litres of available space with all the rear seats folded.
The Toyota Grand Highlander will launch later this year in North America with no Australian sales plans as yet. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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