2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD – Farewell to Petrol Klugers

In recent years, purely petrol passenger Toyotas have become some what rare in the DiscoverAuto garage, thanks to the runaway success of Toyota’s hybrid range, and now we face the end of an era: the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD petrol will be our last review of a petrol-powered Toyota passenger vehicle. As we reported, Toyota announced earlier this month that petrol options for the Corolla sedan, Camry, Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Kluger would no longer be available to order, leaving hybrid power as the only drivetrain options for the entire Toyota passenger car range (aside from GR, ute and 4×4 ranges). While perhaps somewhat abrupt, we weren’t surprised given hybrid variants make up the majority of sales for all of these models.

Our test car, which was previously the entry model of the Kluger range, features a 2.4 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine – an engine which replaced the previous V6 option and was only offered on the Kluger range in Australia for a mere year and a half. So while obviously this model can’t be ordered new, our review will still apply to used car buyers and those who already have a petrol Kluger on order. So is the 2024 Kluger GX 2WD petrol worth picking up as a used vehicle, and for those who have ordered one, is it worth keeping or cancelling your order? Read on to find out.

How much did the 2024 Kluger GX 2WD Petrol cost to buy?

Orders have now officially closed, but the Kluger GX 2WD petrol started off the Kluger range, and was priced at around $59,500 drive away (depending on location) – our test car with premium paint cost around $60,500 (drive away, again depending on location). The Kluger range now starts at around $66,500 drive away for a base model Kluger GX AWD Hybrid and rises to around $89,500 drive away for a Kluger Grande AWD Hybrid.

Kluger GX 2WD petrol standard equipment:

• 18-inch alloy wheels 
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED headlights 
• Heated, auto-folding and auto-dropping (in reverse) side mirrors
• Fabric upholstery
• Automatic rain-sensing wipers
• Three-zone climate control 
• Keyless entry and push button start 
• 7-inch semi digital instrument cluster
• 8-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring
• ‘Connected’ satellite navigation with live traffic (complimentary for 12 months, $12.50 per month afterwards)
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio 
• 6 speaker audio system
• 5x USB charging points 
• Toyota Connected Services – convenience features: my garage, odometer, distance to empty and fuel level, vehicle status, vehicle locator, manuals and safety recall information (complimentary for the life of the vehicle) plus guest driver settings, drive pulse, recent trip, remote lock/unlock, remote engine start, remote hazard lights and remote air-conditioning (complimentary for 12 months, $9.95 per month afterwards) through the Toyota smartphone app

Kluger GX 2WD petrol standard safety equipment:

• Seven airbags
• Auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, plus intersection assistance
• Lane departure alert and assistance
• Automatic high beam 
• Adaptive cruise control with curve speed reduction and stop and go functionality
• Lane trace assistance 
• Road sign recognition 
• Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
• Front and rear parking sensors 
• Toyota Connected Services – safety features: SOS button, automatic collision notification (complimentary for the life of the vehicle) and stolen vehicle tracking (complimentary for 12 months)

The current-generation Kluger range received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021 with scores of 90 percent for adult protection, 88 percent for child protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 82 per cent for safety assist.

Kluger GX 2WD Petrol exterior colour range:

• Eclipse Black (standard colour)
• Frosted White (featured on our press car +$675)
• Silver Storm (+$675)
• Galena Blue (+$675)
• Graphite (+$675)
• Saturn Blue (+$675)
• Atomic Rush (+$675)

Given prior to being discontinued, the base petrol Kluger had become pricey, and while the equipment list also got added to, we think there is a bit of missing kit. A larger touchscreen, safe exit assist, rear auto braking, blind spot and rear cross traffic alert assistance, lumbar and powered adjustment for the driver’s seat.While there are plenty of large SUVs on the Australian market that the Kluger would be cross shopped with, there isn’t really a direct competitor to this GX Petrol 2D model – most other larger SUVs are either smaller or larger, not in the same price bracket or not offered in a petrol model. The Sorrento and Santa Fe are smaller, as are the Nissan X-Trail and Honda CR-V. The Hyundai Palisade is bigger and not offered in lower specifications and the Mazda CX-9 is gone in favour of the more upmarket CX-90 which is only offered as a mild-hybrid anyway.

For comparison’s sake, while acknowledging it is a smaller vehicle, we selected the Kia Sorento Sport Petrol to compare with the Kluger. Priced at around $57,100 drive-away, the Sorento undercuts the Kluger by about $2,300. Keeping in mind again that the smaller dimensions of the Sorento, it does have a fair bit of equipment missing in the Kluger, including an auto dimming rearview mirror, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), collision avoidance for the blind spot and rear cross traffic alert systems, a safe exit warning system, a burglar alarm, a front centre airbag, 10 ways of powered adjustment for the driver’s seat (6 ways of manual adjustment for the Kluger), paddle gear shifters, an extra speaker for the sound system, satellite navigation with 10 years of traffic information (one year in the Kluger) and a much larger 12.3 inch touchscreen infotainment system (8.0 inch in the Kluger).

The Kluger does feature some equipment missing in the Sorento – the Kluger has heated and auto dropping (in reverse) side mirrors, three-zone climate control (two-zone in the Sorrento), a larger 7.0-inch semi-digital instrument cluster (4.2-inch in the Sorento), five USB charging points (three in the Sorento), airbag coverage for the 3rd row seats, a driver’s knee airbag and Toyota connected services which include convenience features and safety features – some of which are subscription based with 1 year included, some of which are for the lifetime of the car.

The 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol would have had a more compelling value equation if it had more equipment – those who don’t need the space of the Kluger will find better value in a Sorrento (for example) – this will reflect to the used market as well.

How fuel efficient is the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol?

The 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol was powered by a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, which had replaced the 3.5 V6 as the sole petrol only option in the Kluger lineup. Developing 198kW of power at 600rpm and 420Nm of torque (between 1,700 and 3,600rpm) the four pot was quite the engine – compared to the older V6, it delivered significantly more torque, which was more useful in a much lower rev range, while only sacrificing a small amount of power.

Around town being able to access a larger amount of torque so much earlier in the RPM range helps to make getting up to speed feel effortless – there’s still more than enough power to make the Kluger an excellent tourer. Getting up to highway speeds and overtaking are a breeze. Refinement is still good, with engine noise and vibration isolated very well from the cabin.

Sending power to the front wheels is a eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission, which is well sorted – shifts are smooth and always at the right time. It’s a great transmission which rarely, if ever, gets confused.

Toyota published a fuel consumption claim of 8.3L/100km, but during our week with the Kluger, we couldn’t really match this, with usage ranging from around 10.5 during highway driving and up to around 12.5 around town. While this a definite improvement on the old V6 which was notoriously thirsty, and we definitely think the four-cylinder turbo unit is an improvement in just about every way, it’s clear to see why Toyota discontinued the petrol option from an efficiency point of view – we comfortably achieved 5.9 litres per 100kms in our last Kluger Hybrid which was also a (typically) more thirsty AWD model. Those buying a used Kluger consider opting for a hybrid model in order to halve their potential fuel usage.

With a full 68-litre tank, Kluger drivers should be able to achieve a range of around 540kms, based on our fuel usage around town – expect this figure to grow for highway driving. The 2024 Kluger GX 2WD Petrol runs happily on 91RON unleaded fuel, compared to hybrid models which demand 95RON unleaded fuel.

What is the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol like to drive?

This generation of Kluger, like most current generation Toyotas, is underpinned by the ‘TNGA’ platform, which transformed many of Toyota’s safe but not very engaging vehicles into quite competent handlers. The 2024 Kluger GX 2WD petrol rides well, keeping occupants in great comfort absorbing pretty most things the roads throw at it, though occasionally body control could be a bit better. The petrol Kluger doesn’t exactly feel light, but it is more nimble than the hybrid Kluger – the steering is accurate and well weighted – we think it’s more direct than the hybrid Klugers we’ve driven.

The lightness does make the Kluger easy to manoeuvre, especially around town, where one would expect the Kluger to become cumbersome – while it’s obviously not a small car by any means, the steering helps. 

While the torque boost brought by the swap from V6 to the four-cylinder turbo made the petrol Kluger peppier, we found that it was almost too much torque for a front wheel drive vehicle – there were too many times in our week with the Kluger where the front wheels spun, almost to the point that it was hard to avoid – not overly confidence inspiring and not something many would appreciate in a family vehicle. Wed definitely recommend opting for an AWD variant – or like we suggested before, a hybrid which is AWD as standard.

The Kluger is a soft handler rather than a sharp one – cornering is on the soft side, but nobody is buying the Kluger to take corners hard. Klugers of past were well known for over feeling too boat-like and floaty – we think this generation however offers a better balance of comfort and handling ability. The Kluger can be pushed a bit harder than one would expect, but for the most part, as we often have said, most drivers will just appreciate that it feels safe on the road. Visibility for the driver is quite good thanks to the large windows and high quality reversing camera – the lack of a 360-degree camera is frustrating in a Kluger-sized vehicle.

How practical is the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol?

The interior of the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol is a modern and smart place, but one which is definitely focused on utility and practicality. The materials throughout are solid and there are some soft touch finishes throughout. While switchgear throughout the cabin feels excellent to use, we do think at the price point, there should be some higher quality materials. We think this would really help lift the ambience of the interior and make the asking price more justifiable.  

The front seats are comfortable and fairly supportive with good bolstering. While we found the seats quite comfortable during our week, unfortunately with only 6 ways of manual adjustment, some may find it hard to find a comfortable position – the lack of bolster adjustment for the driver and height adjustment for the passenger are particularly problematic. The seats are upholstered in a pleasant enough fabric.

The practicality of the cabin is arguably one of the best assets of the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD – while not the most modern, premium or stylish place, it’s a space that, for the most part, is well thought out for daily use. Up front, the dash shelf which is split into two sections, is finished with a non slip material and runs along in front of the passenger and below the infotainment screen, is great for holding phones, tissue packet and various other bits and bobs during a road trip, and as it features small cable ‘porthole’ to run charging cables up into the shelf – it’s a great place to keep a mobile phones. The centre console box is cavernous and it can store a smaller handbag. There is also phone cubby ahead of the transmission shifter, a good sized glovebox, large cupholders and practically sized door bins. 

Sitting ahead of the driver is a semi digital instrument cluster. This cluster used to feature on the GXL and Grande, and features a 7.0-inch display flanked by analogue dials. The screen quality isn’t fantastic, but it does the job and display plenty of useful data.

Moving to the centre of the dash, is the updated 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The new system is a big improvement – the previous system had screen quality which was just passable and ran dated software. The new screen, in terms of resolution, fluidity and responsiveness is top notch. Toyota’s new software is also far more modern, user friendly and snappy. Perhaps the one downside of the new system is the near total removal of physical buttons – most of the time this isn’t a problem given the (mostly) persistent side menu with shortcuts to most commonly used features, performing the job of the old shortcut buttons (audio, navigation, phone projection).

Where it falls down though is while phone mirroring – the side menu is hidden here, so there is no way to quickly switch from phone mirroring to other infotainment functions. For example in CarPlay, this involves navigating to the home screen, then opening the ‘Toyota’ app. The experience would be improved if a physical home button was reintroduced somewhere into the dash. We are grateful that there is still a physical volume button. We also think the 8 inch display, like the previous unit, is just too small for a car of the Kluger’s size and price point – the large black borders which used to feature the aforementioned physical buttons are now empty and make the screen feel even smaller than it is.

On a more positive note, the upgraded microphone array is excellent, making dictating messages (while stopped) or speaking on the phone a great experience. Toyota’s voice recognition service also works well and is able to distinguish commands as coming from either the driver side or the passenger side – clever, but of limited practicality for most. There are 5 usb charging points throughout the cabin – three of them are up front with 2x USB C ports and 1x USB A port (doubling as the infotainment input).

Moving into the second row of the Kluger shows off a massive space – the two full-size outbound seats are very comfortable with great foot, knee, leg and pretty good headroom. The centre seat is more than acceptable – it’s not quite as wide or comfortable as the other two seats, but adults will still comfortably fit for several hours – on longer haul drives the reduced foot room and width of the seat might compromise comfort a bit. For children and teens, it’s grea, even for longer trips.

The seats themselves are rake adjustable. and also can recline. Second row amenities are fairly comprehensive, with a seperate zone of climate control with ceiling outlets, 2x USB C charging points, a folding centre armrest with drink holders, map pockets and large usable door bins.

The third row has just enough headroom for near six-foot adults, and the seats are wide enough, but the typical lack of drop below the seat base means that adults will have their knees right up – not comfortable for long trips, but fine on the odd occasion and more regularly for children and teens. The second row has rake adjustment, which allows for more leg room in the third row.

Access to the third row is good for the class, and the controls to fold the second row for access are straightforward. Third row passengers benefit from air conditioning vents and cupholders – there is also third row airbag coverage, unlike some smaller competitors.

The tailgate of the Kluger opens to a 241-litre space with the third row up, which expands to 552L with five seats in use. With the second and third row both folded, the space opens to a huge 1,150L (to the belt line) space.

What warranty covers the 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol?

Toyota covers the Kluger with a five-year warranty, which is extended to seven years for the drivetrain if servicing has been carried out as per logbook requirements. Kia bests the Toyota’s warranty with the Sorrento with a 7 year warranty for the entire car.

Servicing the Kluger over the first 5 years/75,000kms costs a low $1,325 with 15,000km/12-month service intervals (whichever comes first). The Sorento matches the Kluger’s service intervals, but costs a fair bit more to service over the same period, coming to $2,287. Kia does have the upper edge when it comes to included roadside assistance though, as Toyota does not include it any with the Kluger (or any of its vehicles), but Kia includes 12 months’ complimentary roadside assistance, which is extended an additional 12 months (up to a maximum of eight years) with each scheduled logbook service completed at a Kia dealership.

Should I buy a 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD Petrol?

For those who are in the market for a recent model used large SUV, or those who have placed and order for a 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD petrol – is the now discontinued petrol SUV worth it? Viewed without considering other Kluger models, the base GX Petrol features a pleasingly willing engine tied to a lovely transmission, a spacious well thought out and practical interior and cheap servicing – the majority of these positives apply to all Klugers however.

The existence of Kluger hybrid variants is probably the biggest argument against a 2WD petrol Kluger. Albeit featuring a less engaging drivetrain, they do everything the petrol 2WD Kluger does, but with a more suitable all wheel drivetrain, while using half (and sometimes less than half) the fuel. Even an AWD petrol Kluger would be an improvement. It’s probably only when compared against other petrol 2WD competitors that this Kluger variant starts. to make sense. As much as we appreciated the four-cylinder turbo engine, it’s no wonder Toyota has discontinued petrol Klugers – hybrids just make too much sense.

So would we recommend used car buyers go for a 2024 Toyota Kluger GX 2WD petrol? If cross shopping against SUVs from competitors, maybe, depending on the situation. Against a Hybrid Kluger? No chance.