Toyota has revealed a larger, more passenger-friendly version of the three-row Highlander, called the Grand Highlander.
Simply put, the Grand Highlander has the same styling and packing as the Highlander, with the same eight-passenger capacity, but with a more upright design at the rear — plus the length and wheelbase it seems slightly increased.
Sacrifice? Hybrid versions of the Grand Highlander are expected to hit 34 mpg—compared to 36 mpg for Highlander model. You may also have to carry a little more weight and it may be a little more difficult to park. But compared to Ford Explorer hybrid or Kia Sorento HybridThe Grand Highlander looks like it has more space per mpg.
That’s all ahead of the expected arrival of the Highlander Prime plug-in hybrid, following on from the standout version’s success. RAV4 Prime.
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Option to combine with Max
For now, Toyota says the Grand Highlander will be offered with three different powertrain choices, all with an internal combustion engine under the hood: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with all-wheel drive. front- or all-wheel drive; 2.5-liter inline-four with front- or all-wheel drive, as part of Toyota’s well-established planetary hybrid system (and a choice for 34 mpg performance). there); and Toyota’s new Hybrid Max system, offered with all-wheel drive only.
The second hybrid option, which Toyota describes as “performance-seeking,” makes 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Toyota says that with this powertrain, which we interpret as Toyota Crown Max Using a front-engined automatic transmission and a separate motor for the rear wheels, the Grand Highlander can accelerate to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and is capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
The Grand Highlander was designed at the company’s Calty Design Studio, which is split between California and Michigan, and it will be produced alongside the Highlander in Princeton, Indiana.
It is built on the same platform as the Highlander, and the design of the two models is a close companion, although it does appear to be a bit stretched in terms of wheelbase as well as overall length. Oddly enough – and perhaps underscoring how small the size difference can be – Toyota doesn’t reveal how much.
Don’t rush to point out what makes it great
To provide a clue, Toyota lists a total of about 98 cubic feet of cargo space with both rows of rear seats folded down, compared to 84.3 cubic feet with the standard Highlander. It also describes the model as having “a spacious adult-sized third row. Toyota has yet to say if the second row of seats will be redesigned for easier access to the third row, but it looks like the door trim has changed and that would certainly help.
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
The Grand Highlander will be offered in XLE, Limited and Platinum trim levels. XLE versions include roof racks, heated mirrors, power driver’s seat, power tailgate, heated front seats, wireless device charger and digital key system. Limited editions get leather seats, LED fog lights, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, parking sensors, ambient lights, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a 1500-watt power outlet ( in hybrid vehicles), along with cluster digital gauges. The highest-end Platinum trims get heated and ventilated second-row seats, a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, digital rear-view mirrors and multi-terrain selector in select versions. .
Toyota is also integrating cloud-based navigation, dealer-assisted destination services, and other connected features by subscription. Includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless compatibility, as well as HD Radio, a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio, and a one-month trial of the system’s 4G wi-fi hotspot capabilities. Limited and Platinum models include 11-speaker JBL sound.
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Leather seats are available on the Limited and Platinum Grand Highlander, and special Hybrid Max versions will have leather and faux leather seats with brass accents.
According to Toyota, the Hybrid Max version also has “available dual exhaust”.
A little different, but a refreshing throughout
You have to keep the two models side by side in the photo to see the difference. Compared to the Highlander, the Grand Highlander has an extended, more formal roofline, as well as smoother, less curvy rear flanks, which can result in significantly more third-row space.
Inside, the Grand Highlander presents a refresh that’s not quite different but better both in function and aesthetics. The center console appears to be reshaped and redesigned, with a different vent design, new door trim, and a new gauge display. Of course, passengers in the third row can see the difference the most.
Toyota says that the Grand Highlander — and, we think, the Highlander 2024 — uses Toyota’s full suite of Safety Systems 3.0, which includes adaptive cruise control at top speed, cyclist recognition and pedestrians for automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and a lane keeping system that studies vehicles in adjacent lanes.
Toyota Grand Highlander 2024
Pricing and sale dates will be announced for the Grand Highlander later this summer; so to speculate, expect it this fall. And then expect more details on exactly how much bigger the Grand is and why you should want it.
