DETROIT – Toyota has added a new, bigger member to its family of SUVs, offering a larger third row of seats to compete with vehicles like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Chevrolet Traverse family hauling SUVs. The 2024 Grand Highlander debuts at the Chicago auto show this week and goes on sale later this year.
The Grand Highlander is longer and roomier than the Highlander three-row SUV Toyota. Like that SUV and its competitors, the Grand Highlander is based on a car-type unibody platform and was developed to maximize passenger and cargo space. Toyota also will continue to offer the big truck-based Sequoia SUV for owners who prioritize towing capability.
“There is definitely a need in the market for a midsize SUV that prioritizes interior comfort in all three rows and Grand Highlander is the ultimate option,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota Marketing.
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Toyota will build gasoline and hybrid versions of the Grand Highlander, but not an electric model. Toyota will continue to build the regular-size Highlander.
Features available on 2024 Grand Highlander:
- Seating for seven or eight.
- 13 cupholders.
- Seven USB-C ports.
- Climate control for its second row of seats.
- Heated steering wheel.
- Room for seven carry-on bags behind the third row of seats.
- Available cloud-based navigation and personal assistant.
- Available 4G connectivity for up to five devices.
- Standard 12.3-inch touch screen.
- Second-row bench or captain’s chairs.
- Available 20-inch wheels
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Three drivetrains, no EV
Drivetrain choices will include front- and all-wheel drive.
Power will come from:
- A 2.4L turbocharged engine.
- A fuel efficient hybrid combining a 2.5L engine with electric motors and expected to score 34 mpg in EPA tests of combined city and highway driving.
- A performance-oriented 362-hp Hybrid Max model with a gasoline engine and electric motors.
Standard safety and driver assistance systems include:
- Pre-collision alert and braking with pedestrian detection.
- Lane departure alert and assist.
- Adaptive cruise control.
- Road sign recognition.
- Lane centering.
- Automatic high beams.
- Automatic stop for non-responsive driver.
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New Toyota Grand Highlander price to be announced
Toyota plans to announce prices and fuel economy for the Grand Highlander this summer. It will build the Grand Highlander in Princeton, Indiana.
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander trim levels:
The Chicago auto show runs Feb. 11-20 at McCormick Place convention center.
Follow reporter Mark Phelan on Twitter @mark_phelan.
Story Credit: usatoday.com