Toyota Grand Highlander Revealed
The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offers more space, more power, more comfort, and 13 cupholders and seven USB ports.
Toyota Grand Highlander
Toyota might have axed the popular Land Cruiser back in 2021, but now it’s just introduced a brand-new three-row SUV. The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offers seating for up to eight passengers in a midsize SUV package. Unlike the Land Cruiser though, the Grand Highlander focuses more heavily on how well it performs on the road rather than blending both on and off-road ability. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the latest model in Toyota’s lineup.
What Is The Grand Highlander?
Put simply, the Grand Highlander is a larger Highlander. In fact, despite not looking too much like the Highlander itself, the Grand Highlander sits on the same chassis. That’s even more surprising when we consider that the Grand Highlander is 6.5 inches longer, 2.0 inches taller, and 2.3 inches wider than the normal Highlander. Much of that additional space dedicated to making the third row more accommodating. The Grand Highlander also boasts about 14 more cubic feet worth of cargo space. What we still don’t know is exactly how much it’ll cost but Toyota says that we’ll know more later this year.
What’s Under The Skin?
Pull the big body off of the Grand Highlander and you’ll find a trio of drivetrains available. The bottom two are the same ones found in the normal Highlander. That includes a 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 265 hp and a 2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder with 243 hp.
Both are available with front or all-wheel drive but the 2.4-liter version uses a six-speed automatic whereas the 2.5-liter leverages a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The top engine in the lineup is Toyota’s Hybrid Max 2.4-liter powertrain from the Crown. In the Grand Highlander, it’ll make up to 362 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Just like the normal Highlander, it’ll tow up to 5,000 pounds.
The Cabin
Slip into the Grand Highlander and straight away the ties to larger Toyota SUVs like the Land Cruiser are obvious. The infotainment center and console are more upright and squared-off compared to the normal Highlander. At the same time, the screen itself is the same despite being positioned differently. In addition, the cabin itself benefits from an extra five and a half inches in the wheelbase which makes for more legroom.
The second row can be configured with a bench or with captain’s chairs, the latter of which can feature ventilation on the top-end Limited trim. Evidently, the third row is sizable enough for adults to fit comfortably and to that end, Toyota includes multiple USB ports, tablet or phone storage solutions, and cupholders in that third row.
Still, don’t get this thing confused for a GMC Yukon XL or a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The Grand Highlander offers a little more space than the normal Highlander yes, but it should prove to be far easier to drive in tight spaces than full-size SUVs.
Technology
The infotainment screen might be the same but that hasn’t stopped Toyota from pushing the technology bar higher overall in the Grand Highlander. This SUV is over-the-air update capable so features like voice recognition, navigation, and road sign detection should stay up to date for years to come.
In addition, it comes with a bevy of driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, and collision mitigation. Buyers also get a one-year free trial of remote services that allow them to lock or unlock the vehicle, start the SUV, or turn on the headlights.
Conclusion
The all-new 2024 Toyota Highlander is going to offer buyers the chance to enjoy more space, more power, and more comfort without having to go to a full-size SUV. It should directly compete with cars like the Kia Telluride more capably while being easier to drive than giant SUVs like the Ford Expedition Max. Like most every other Toyota on sale today, we expect it’ll sell well and that rival automakers will be working hard to respond in the coming months and years.
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