The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Has a Powerful Surprise From Lexus Under the Hood
The Toyota Highlander sits between the regular Highlander and the larger, newly redesigned Toyota Sequoia. Not only is the Grand Highlander stepping in to meet steadily increasing SUV demand, but Toyota gave it a little extra pep for this next year’s model. The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander now offers a spunky turbocharged powerplant borrowed by its cousins at Lexus.
The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander will have a turbocharged Lexus engine
The three-row SUV game is heating up. New models seem to hit the market by the month. Even older models like the Toyota Highlander are growing a third row in the form of the Grand Highlander.
Along with more space, Toyota just announced the Grand Highlander will also have an optional performance powertrain.
Will the Grand Highlander get a new engine?
The big surprise is that the Grand Highlander comes with three different engine options. There is the 265-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the 245-hp 2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder, and the show-stopper; a 362-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid plucked from the Lexus RX.
Consumer Reports notes that a very similar high-powered hybrid engine also came in the 2023 Lexus RX that they recently tested. CR reviewers really liked that package. The 3-row Grand Highlander will almost certainly only be made better by having a punchier powerplant.
How much does the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander cost?
Consumer Reports says the starting price for the Grand Higlander starts at $46,000. But if you want the hot motor prices for the top-tier trim, prices start at $60,000. Unfortunately, the new Toyota is following the trend of pricey SUVs.
The Grand Highlander’s best features
The Grand Highlander seems to take after the Toyota RAV4 a little. Instead of the soft edges from models past, the bigger one has some harder angles, making it look a bit more aggressive.
There are a few distinguishing features that denote trims. The base model XLE trim has a black grille, roof rails, and 18-inch wheels. The Limited adds LED daytime running lights, fog lamps, power-folding side mirrors, and 20-inch wheels. The top-level Platinum sports trim-specific 20-inch wheels.
CR notes that the biggest differences between the trims are seen more inside the SUV. For instance, the Limited and Platinum trims come standard with a JBL system with 11 speakers.
There is also a plethora of connected services that Toyota offers for a monthly fee. The biggest collection of these features is the safety bundle. The connected features include an SOS button to call emergency services, automatic collision notification, and stolen vehicle location. While paying for monthly services is pretty annoying, you get a 10-year trial. I guess that’s not so bad.
When is the Grand Highlander available to buy?
As of now, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander is slated to hit lots in late 2023. By all accounts, Toyota’s new third-row SUV seems to be a practical SUV that should be pretty popular.
