Toyota has been in an aggressive mood and has just confirmed that a new nameplate, the Grand Highlander, will arrive on February 8, 2023. It won't go on sale until the 2024 model year rolls around, but it already sounds like a much more interesting car than the current Highlander.
Toyota is just teasing the Grand Highlander for now, but we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Toyota claims the Grand Highlander will be all-new, and while the name, exterior looks and interior space will be unfamiliar, the underpinnings will likely be based on the current Highlander (and TNGA-K platform that also underpins the current Lexus RX).
More than a cursory glance at the teaser image reveals a Hybrid Max badge, similar to the one found on the rump of the 2023 Toyota Crown. That likely means the Grand Highlander will feature the same powertrain as the Hybrid Max version of the Crown. The Hybrid Max powertrain combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor for a max output of 340 horsepower. We've already driven the Crown in Hybrid Max guise, and while there is another powertrain available, this more powerful version is certainly the one to have. It might also fix one of our gripes with the current Highlander: its lackluster array of engine choices.
While a big seven-passenger, three-row SUV sounds like the work of the current Sequoia, some buyers might find a body-on-frame SUV a little too much. The unibody construction offered by TNGA-K will likely better fit the needs of most buyers and give the Grand Highlander a better shot at being the "ultimate road trip vehicle" Toyota claims it will be. Hopefully that claim also implies more cargo and legroom, two key qualities we think the current Highlander is in short supply of.
