If you’re looking for a spacious, comfortable, and efficient three-row SUV, you might want to check out the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. This is the newest and largest member of the Highlander family, offering more room, features, and hybrid power than ever before. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this grand SUV, from its design and performance to its technology and safety. I’ll also compare it to some of its rivals and give you my honest opinion on whether it’s worth your money.
What is the Grand Highlander?
The Toyota Grand Highlander is a new model that joins the regular Highlander in Toyota’s lineup of midsize SUVs. It’s based on the same platform and shares the same hybrid powertrain, but it’s longer, wider, and taller than its sibling. It also has a more upscale interior, a larger cargo area, and a longer wheelbase that allows for more legroom in all three rows.
The Toyota Grand Highlander is available in four trim levels: LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum. All of them come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors that produce a combined 243 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid system can run on electric power alone for short distances and delivers an impressive EPA-estimated 36 mpg city/34 mpg highway/35 mpg combined. The Grand Highlander also comes standard with all-wheel drive, which can vary the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels.
The Grand Highlander starts at $43,070 for the LE trim and goes up to $54,370 for the Platinum trim. That’s about $2,000 more than the regular Highlander for each trim level, but you get more space, features, and style for your money.
What does it look like?
The Toyota Grand Highlander has a distinctive look that sets it apart from the regular Highlander and other SUVs in its class. It has a bold front fascia with a large grille, LED headlights, and fog lights. The side profile is sleek and aerodynamic, with a sloping roofline, chrome accents, and 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels. The rear end is elegant and modern, with LED taillights, a spoiler, and a dual exhaust system.
The Toyota Grand Highlander is available in eight exterior colors: Blizzard Pearl, Wind Chill Pearl (new), Magnetic Gray Metallic (new), Midnight Black Metallic (new), Ruby Flare Pearl (new), Blueprint (new), Opulent Amber (new), and Lunar Rock (new). You can also opt for a two-tone color scheme with a black roof for an extra $500.
The Grand Highlander measures 204.9 inches long, 76.6 inches wide, and 70.3 inches tall. That's 6.5 inches longer, 0.8 inches wider, and 0.6 inches taller than the regular Highlander. It also has a 112.2-inch wheelbase, which is 2 inches longer than the regular Highlander. These dimensions make the Grand Highlander one of the largest SUVs in its segment, rivaling the likes of the Ford Explorer, the Honda Pilot, and the Hyundai Palisade.
What’s inside?
The Grand Highlander has a spacious and luxurious interior that can comfortably accommodate up to eight passengers. The cabin is well-appointed with high-quality materials, soft-touch surfaces, and ambient lighting. The seats are supportive and adjustable, with available leather upholstery, heating, ventilation, and memory functions. The second row can be configured as either a bench seat or a captain’s chair, depending on your preference. Thanks to the increased legroom and headroom, the third row is roomy enough for adults to sit comfortably.
The Toyota Grand Highlander also has plenty of cargo space for your luggage and gear. It has 20.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 4 cubic feet more than the regular Highlander. If you fold down the third row, you get 55 cubic feet of space, 7 cubic feet more than the regular Highlander. And if you fold down both the second and third rows, you get a whopping 97.5 cubic feet of space, which is 11 cubic feet more than the regular Highlander.
The Grand Highlander is also loaded with technology and features that make your drive more enjoyable and convenient. It has a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and SiriusXM compatibility. It also has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch head-up display, a wireless charging pad, a JBL premium sound system, and a panoramic moonroof. Some of the other features include a digital key capability, a hands-free power liftgate, a 360-degree camera system, and a rear-seat entertainment system.
How safe is it?
The Grand Highlander is spacious, comfortable but also safe, and reliable. It comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which is a suite of advanced driver-assist features that help you avoid or mitigate collisions. Some of these features include:
- Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection: This feature can detect a vehicle, pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist in front of you and warn you of a possible collision. If you don’t react, it can apply the brakes automatically to reduce the impact or avoid the collision altogether.
- Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: This feature can maintain a set speed and distance from the vehicle ahead of you on the highway. It can also adjust the speed according to the traffic flow and resume the set speed when the road is clear.
- Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist: This feature can detect the lane markings on the road and warn you if you start to drift out of your lane. It can also provide gentle steering assistance to help you stay in your lane.
- Lane Tracing Assist: This feature can help you keep your vehicle centered in your lane when using the cruise control. It can also detect a driver who is inattentive or nonresponsive and bring the vehicle to a stop if necessary.
- Road Sign Assist: This feature can recognize certain road signs, such as speed limit signs, stop signs, do not enter signs, yield signs, and warning signs, and display them on the instrument cluster.
- Automatic High Beams: This feature can automatically switch between high and low beams depending on the traffic and lighting conditions.
The Grand Highlander also comes with other safety features, such as blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking with automatic braking, trailer sway control, hill start assist control, and eight airbags.