Once rare, the list of three-row SUVs has grown steadily longer each year, with brands like Ford, Jeep, and Land Rover lately adding to buyers’ options. Now, Toyota has come to the party with the new 2024 Grand Highlander, which, it says, will offer an “adult-sized third row and ample cargo space.”
That translates into seating for either seven or eight on most trim packages, though the top-line Platinum edition’s mid-row captain’s chairs limit space to seven passengers.
Grabbing a first look at the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, as it debuts at the Chicago Auto Show, reveals a much more imposing take on the familiar midsize model.
Bigger Highlander in Every Dimension
It gains an extra 6.5 inches in total length at 201.4 inches. It’s 2.3 inches wider, at 78.3 inches, and stands two inches taller, at 70.1 inches. Cargo volume jumps by up to 13.2 cubic feet, to 20.6 cubic feet with all seats up, and 97.5 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.
To accent the added dimensions, the 2024 Grand Highlander tweaks the familiar two-row model’s design, introducing a more aggressive “hammerhead” grille, as well as black rockers meant to give the SUV a more upright and imposing stance. Wheels run 18 to 20 inches, depending upon the trim package.
And models with the Hybrid Max can amp up the appearance with details like an optional dual exhaust, unique front and rear bumpers, and trim-exclusive 20-inch wheels.
Grand Highlander: Tech-Focused Interior
The cabin doesn’t stray far from the two-row Highlander’s design, but where it does, the focus is on functionality, starting with the 12.3-inch touchscreen for the new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system. Similar to Amazon’s familiar Alexa voice assistant, you only have to say, “Hey, Toyota,” to operate a wide variety of vehicle functions.
To keep a family’s portable devices charged up, there are USB ports in all three rows and built-in smartphone holders for those in the middle seats. They also get a multipurpose tray to lay down a tablet or, for old souls, perhaps a book. On the less high-tech side, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander comes with 13 cupholders.
There’s yet more tech, including an assortment of safety gear. The list of advanced driver assistance systems includes forward collision warning with emergency auto-braking, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, among other technologies.
Three Grand Highlander Powertrain Options
The Grand Highlander will be offered with three powertrain options, including a version of the beefy yet fuel-efficient Hybrid Max. The gas-electric combo is rated at 363 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque.
The Hybrid Max package comes only in all-wheel-drive (AWD). The other two engine options can be ordered in either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.
The base engine is a 2.4L turbo-four, with the mid-range upgrade a 2.5L hybrid.
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander: Pricing and Availability
Toyota isn’t ready to release additional details on the powertrain trio, not until spring, anyway. That’s about when it will announce pricing. Expect a boost of at least a few thousand dollars over the two-row Highlander — which begins at just over $34,000.
The three-row 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander will be produced at the same Princeton, Indiana plant now producing the two-row version of the SUV. Look for it to begin reaching U.S. showrooms sometime over the summer, according to a spokesperson.
