Toyota is responsible for the most popular SUV in the world, the Toyota RAV4. It also produces popular midsize models like the Toyota Highlander. The Highlander has a huge following but isn’t the most popular model in its segment. The Kia Telluride is currently regarded as the most popular midsize SUV because of its value. Toyota’s response to the Telluride will make summer 2023 a scorcher. One version of the upcoming Toyota Grand Highlander is the most powerful midsize SUV Toyota has ever produced.

Toyota’s new midsize SUV is historically powerful

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander arrives this summer. The aptly-named Grand Highlander is a larger version of Toyota’s iconic midsize Highlander model. The Toyota Highlander has won the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. The Grand Highlander has more than a few tricks up its sleeve to appeal to OG Highlander admirers and an entirely new demographic.

The Toyota Grand Highlander is breaking new ground for the Japanese brand in more ways than one. Its available hybrid MAX powertrain option makes it the most powerful midsize SUV that the brand has ever made.

The Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX produces an incredible 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty of torque for a vehicle of its size. It can tow up to 5,000 lbs. The Grand Highlander can go from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.3 seconds when equipped with the Hybrid MAX powertrain.

Toyota’s new Hybrid MAX and i-FORCE MAX models prove that hybrid powertrain systems can produce high power outputs without sacrificing efficiency. These powertrains replace the brand’s trusty (and thirsty) V8 in models like the Sequoia and Tundra. The new Grand Highlander’s powertrain options are only one of its appealing new attributes.

Why is the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander exciting?

There are two main reasons gearheads are pumped up about the Grand Highlander’s arrival. First, the midsize SUV’s predecessor has made a huge impact on its segment since it hit the scene back in 2000. Over two decades later, it’s the midsize SUV of choice for thousands of families.

Folks love the Highlander because it’s reliable and long-lasting. The midsize SUV is one of the most likely to last over 200,000 miles in its segment. It isn’t the flashiest or the most affordable, but its value over long periods of ownership is hard to deny. Auto enthusiasts already naturally associate many of the Highlander’s best qualities with the upcoming Grand Highlander.

The second main reason drivers are excited about the Grand Highlander’s arrival is its size. The new midsize model is a three-row SUV with more cabin and cargo space than the Highlander. It’s better suited for large families but doesn’t have a large family SUV price tag.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander specs

According to Toyota, the Grand Highlander starts at $43,070. It makes 265 horsepower. The midsize SUV achieves 24 miles per gallon combined.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid starts at $44,670. The Hybrid MAX starts at $54,040. Between the redesigned Sequoia and the upcoming Grand Highlander, is Toyota making some of the best new family SUVs in the game?