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2024 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE: Specs, Price, & Interior -The evergreen Toyota Highlander has been a capable three-row crossover for a long time in a world where SUVs rule supreme. Nevertheless, it does not have enough capacity in the rear seats to compete with the highly popular Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade. The Sequoia is a body-on-frame SUV that offers a substantially more expensive solution to this issue than its competitors, although it does so to some degree. The all-new Toyota Grand Highlander is a crossover SUV.
Based on the TNGA-K architecture, it offers a significant amount of additional space in order to better compete with the competitors stated before. But, it is not a one-trick pony; purchasers have the option of selecting from three distinct powertrains, which may be configured with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Toyota Grand Highlander is available with two different powertrains, both of which are efficient hybrid engines. The most powerful of them is the Hybrid MAX model, which produces 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. According to Toyota, the Grand Highlander equipped in this manner is the most powerful midsize SUV that the company has ever manufactured. Even while the more durable 4Runner is still your best chance for handling the hard stuff, the Grand Highlander features a feature called Multi-Terrain Select on select all-wheel-drive versions that allow it to handle light adventure.
Redesign
The Grand Highlander takes its cues from the form of the well-known Highlander, but it has a trapezoidal, hammerhead front grille in addition to a sharper bumper at the rear. All of the models have roof rails and rear pillars that match the body color, and the wheels on the basic model are 18 inches in diameter. The 20-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights and fog lamps, and power-folding exterior mirrors are standard on the Limited trim levels that are in the middle of the range. Standard equipment for the highest-end Platinum versions is a panoramic moonroof. The Hybrid MAX lineup has twin exhaust outlets and front and rear bumpers that are uniquely designed for each model.
The Grand Highlander has a rugged appearance overall, with powerful proportions and a prominent front stance that sets it apart from other vehicles. Due to the fact that a sloping roofline would compromise the Grand Highlander’s use, the focus placed on size and space does not result in the vehicle has one. The squared-off look, especially when viewed in profile, may be unoriginal, but the Grand Highlander isn’t intended to be a fashionable accessory. Because the Grand Highlander doesn’t need to yell about its comfort, space, and practicality, the design is straightforward while still being aesthetically pleasing.
We are unsure of the exterior color options that will be available for the Toyota Grand Highlander, but the photographs that we have seen reveal a distinctive shade of blue that falls between Moon Dust and Blueprint and is similar to the hue of the standard Highlander. It’s probable that Toyota will keep offering its top color, Wind Chill Pearl.
The team at Toyota’s Calty Design Studios in California was responsible for the design of the company’s latest SUV, which has a more boxy and straightforward appearance than its smaller brother, the Highlander. It has smooth surfaces all over the body, which convey a basic but tough design, and it has rear pillars that are the same color as the body to give the impression of sturdiness and strength.
The Grand Highlander may be obtained with wheels ranging in diameter from 18 inches all the way up to 20 inches, and it is offered in three different trim levels (XLE, Limited, or Platinum). There is also the option of a panoramic moonroof. 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE
Specs
With the Grand Highlander, Toyota will offer three different drivetrain options. Although not all of the information is public just yet, the manufacturer has disclosed that the basic model will be available with a 2.4-liter gas engine and that there will also be a 2.5-liter hybrid version of the vehicle. Both are available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations.
The Toyota Hybrid Max powertrain will be standard on the most expensive trim levels. This huge SUV is capable of producing a total of 362 horsepower (270 kW/367 PS) and 400 pound-feet (542 Nm) of torque thanks to the hybrid system, which was first debuted with the Crown. The hybrid configuration adds 30 more horses (22 kW/30.4 PS).
Despite the fact that fuel economy estimates for any of the models have not been released as of yet, Toyota claims that the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max will be able to reach 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in only 6.3 seconds and will be able to tow up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg).
Because of its less aerodynamic SUV body, substantial weight, and third seating row, the Grand Highlander won’t be quite as efficient as the Crown when it comes to gas mileage, but the Hybrid powertrain in the Crown returns 29/32/30 mpg in the city, on the highway, and combined. Gas mileage figures are still pending. If it does not have all-wheel drive, the standard Highlander Hybrid can get up to 36/35/36 mpg, whereas the gas-only model achieves a less impressive 21/28/24 mpg with all-wheel drive.
The Grand Highlander is anticipated to get close to 27 miles per gallon when equipped with the Hybrid MAX. It would put it in a league of its own when compared to the V6 engine found in the Kia Telluride, which gets 18/24/21 mpg with AWD.
Interior
One of the complaints about the normal Highlander, as well as a significant portion of the three-row midsize sector as a whole, is that the accommodations in the back seats are too tight. The Grand Highlander has a primary emphasis on providing a rear row that is suitable for adults and that is comfortable over longer distances. As a result, it has seating for as many as eight people and provides a large amount of room in the two back rows. It is possible to order the second row to be equipped with captain’s chairs, which reduces the number of seats there to seven.
Base Seats in variants of the Toyota Grand Highlander include a trim made of Softex, heating for the front seats of the passenger compartment, ten different power adjustments for the driver, and eight different power adjustments for the passenger. The second row of seats now has heating, and the front seats have ventilation in addition to leather upholstery, which is standard on the mid-level Limited trim. A heated steering wheel and ambient lighting serve to make it seem a little bit more special, but the top-of-the-line Platinum grade gets all the bells and whistles, including heated and ventilated second-row seats as well as a panoramic sunroof, among other features.
The instrument panel of every trim level of the 2024 Grand Highlander has plush padding, and there is an option for decoration that resembles wood grain. On lesser trim levels, the only available inside color options for the Toyota Grand Highlander are Light Gray or Black. Nevertheless, the Platinum Hybrid MAX comes standard with Portobello-themed Ultrasuede and leather upholstery, along with bronze accents placed strategically around the cabin.
The spaciousness of the interior extends to the cargo area as well, with the Grand Highlander providing up to 98 cubic feet of space for goods when the rear seats are folded down. The precise dimensions are not yet known, but Toyota believes that seven carry-on luggage can be stored behind the third-row seats, making it a useful option. It is much more than the 84.3 cubic feet of space that the standard Highlander delivers with the seats folded down, and it is on par with the cargo space provided by the Chevrolet Traverse, which has traditionally been the most spacious vehicle in its class. Moreover, there are 13 cupholders spread out throughout all three rows of the Grand Highlander.
However, comfort isn’t limited to the seating, and Toyota recognizes this by providing even the base model with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a seven-inch driver’s information display, wireless charging, six USB charging points, and wireless compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All of these features contribute to a relaxed state of mind while driving. As you go up the lineup, the display for the instrument cluster expands to 12.3 inches, and a JBL sound system with 11 speakers becomes the standard.
As is anticipated of a family carrier, and the brand itself, safety isn’t passed over. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on all models, and features road sign assist, lane tracing, lane departure alarm, pre-collision assist with pedestrian recognition, and proactive help. All of the trim levels come standard with blind-spot monitoring as well as rear cross-traffic warning. Limited versions come with parking sensors and rain-sensing wipers while the Platinum trims have a head-up display, a panoramic view monitor, traffic jam assist, and front cross-traffic warning.
Date of Publication and Private Preview
Nevertheless, at the unveiling of the Toyota Grand Highlander at the 2023 Chicago Motor Show, the company claimed that price and on-sale dates for the United States will be released later on in the summer. The release date for the Toyota Grand Highlander has not yet been determined. We anticipate that it will become available at retailers in the latter part of the year 2023.
The pricing of the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander hasn’t been released, but with more room than the normal Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, it will certainly surpass those MSRPs, which are $36,420 and $40,220, respectively. The Grand Highlander lineup should be able to cover a wide range of price points, as it is offered in three trim levels and with three different powertrain options. A lower-end price tag of approximately $40,000 is a reasonable expectation, but the Hybrid MAX will likely begin at approximately $5,000 more. Top-end Platinum trims of the ordinary Highlander Hybrid already cross the $50k mark, so expect to spend a few thousand dollars above and beyond that for added luxury.
It would put it at a price point that is higher than its two South Korean competitors, the Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade. The former begins at $35,890 for basic models, with the most costly variant having a starting cost of roughly $53k. The competitor offered by Hyundai is just a few hundred dollars less expensive at the base level, but it begins at less than $50,000 for the most expensive trim level.