The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid: A no-brainer, fuel-sipping hybrid with even more space

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By Colin Ryan

It’s new, it’s roomy, it’s smooth and steady on the highway and easy around town. Pricing starts at $44,670.

Pros

Interior spaceFuel economyPlenty of standard features

Cons

Awkward seat-folding action

What’s new?

The Grand Highlander Hybrid is all-new for 2024

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient version of the company’s newest and roomiest 3-row midsize SUV. Pricing starts at $44,670.

A 3-row SUV from Toyota (TM) already seems like a no-brainer. Then add a fuel-sipping hybrid drivetrain, an area of technology where Toyota has been both a pioneer and paradigm, and we’re reaching for our wallets. But there’s more. More space for passengers in the second and third rows, plus a generous cargo area — all greater than the usual-sized Highlander.

It has to be said that the not-grand Highlander does lose out to most rivals in terms of interior space. This new-for-2024 Grand Highlander puts Toyota right back into contention.

The regular, non-hybrid Grand Highlander is reviewed separately.

What’s new for 2024

The Grand Highlander Hybrid is an all-new model in the larger Grand Highlander range. Although it shares a name with the usual Highlander, this vehicle has its own styling and is built on a different platform.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid pricing

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid starts at $44,670. That’s for the XLE trim with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is an extra $1,600.

   Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE               $44,670 (FWD)/$46,270 (AWD) 
   Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited AWD       $51,060 
   Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Limited AWD   $54,040 
   Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Platinum AWD  $58,125

These are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices, and do not include the $1,395 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).

Non-hybrid contenders like the Kia (KR:000270) Telluride, Hyundai (KR:005380) Palisade, Honda (HMC) Pilot, and Chevrolet Traverse all start in the mid-to-high 30s. If a Highlander Hybrid (not Grand) turns out to be sufficiently spacious, it starts in the low 40s. And the combustion-only Grand Highlander kicks off at around $43K.

See: Value, space, styling, safety: The 2024 Kia Telluride is tops in the 3-row midsize SUV class

Before buying a new Grand Highlander Hybrid SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should pay. We fully expect the Grand Highlander Hybrid will enjoy the same above-average resale values as its slightly smaller stablemate.

Power, ride and handling

The XSE and Limited models have a 245-horsepower hybrid drivetrain as standard. Thanks to the low-end thrust provided by the electric motor, the Grand Highlander Hybrid is a little quicker than its combustion-only counterpart, running from a standstill to 60 mph in about seven seconds. We’ve found the 2024 Grand Highlander smooth and steady on the highway and easy around town, although its plus-size proportions can make parking lots feel a bit tighter.

While most of our editors would go with the regular hybrid powertrain — even over the all-gas Grand Highlander — buyers planning to haul full loads of people, gear, or a trailer might want to consider the more muscular 362-horsepower Hybrid Max drivetrain.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of 3-row SUVs, including the Toyota Grand Highlander.

You might like: The new 2023 Honda Pilot is bigger, more powerful and now has a rugged off-road model, too

Fuel economy

The Grand Highlander Hybrid makes a strong case for itself here. The entry-level hybrid system in the entry-level XLE trim achieves 36 combined mpg (37 city, 34 highway) with front-wheel drive (FWD) or 34 combined mpg (36 city, 32 highway) with all-wheel drive (AWD).

The Limited trim has AWD as standard and posts 33 combined mpg (35 city, 31 highway).

The powerful Max hybrid drivetrain — which is standard in the top Platinum trim, optional in the Limited, and comes with AWD — runs to 27 combined mpg (26 city, 27 highway).

For comparison, those figures are about as good as the smaller and less powerful Kia Sorento Hybrid, which manages 37 combined mpg (FWD) or 35 combined mpg (AWD).

Be sure to read: The 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV vs. the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid: Here’s how these two newcomers match up

Spacious interior

In most reviews, we’d start this section at the front and work toward the back. But since one of the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s main reasons for existence is found rearward, let’s flip the script.

The cargo room behind the third row is 20.6 cubic feet, space enough to hold up to 12 carry-on suitcases (1.6 cubic feet each). Fold down the second and third rows for a maximum of 97.5 cubic feet, enough to hold more than 60 carry-on suitcases (if that’s your idea of fun). The un-Grand equivalent goes from 16 to 84.3 cubic feet.

However, the Grand Highlander Hybrid does not beat all comers if we study non-hybrid alternatives. The Chevy Traverse manages 23 to 98.2 cubic feet. And although the Kia Telluride doesn’t match the Toyota’s maximum, it has 21 cubic feet behind its third row.

The third row is generously sized: 33.5 inches of rear legroom outdoes all the class except for the Traverse, which matches the Toyota to the tenth. The Grand Highlander Hybrid compares favorably to the Highlander’s 28 inches.

The 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid offers a choice of seating in the second row. A pair of captains’ chairs are standard, resulting in a maximum occupant count of seven. The XLE and Limited offer a 3-person bench, turning this hybrid SUV into an 8-seater. The Max Limited and Max Platinum are 7-seaters exclusively.

Maximum legroom here is 39.5 inches, almost an inch better than the regular Highlander. The Sorento Hybrid, Telluride, and Pilot are more accommodating, but that’s still a decent amount for an adult of average size. One thing that both the Grand Highlander Hybrid and its smaller counterpart have in common is finicky folding for rows two and three.

Comparing the Grand Highlander Hybrid to the regular Grand Highlander, there are no compromises to accommodate the extra hardware. All these interior dimensions are the same.

In the front row, the new Grand Highlander Hybrid has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, individual armrests, three drinks holders (including one for a large bottle), and wireless charging. The cabin has seven USB-C ports, 10 more cup holders, and plenty of nooks for stowing things.

Distinct exterior

A midsize SUV expanded for more rear space might sound like a recipe for odd proportions, but the 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid gets the aesthetics right and has a good chance of aging well. The styling is distinct, not just an adjusted version of the regular Highlander. Yet there are still clever touches like the wide rear passenger doors contributing to easy third-row access. At just under 17 feet, the Grand Highlander Hybrid is about nine inches longer than the regular Highlander, with about four inches going into the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles). It’s also a couple of inches wider, and the roof is a couple of inches higher — ground clearance is the same.

Our favorite features and tech

Infotainment systemWe like Toyota’s infotainment setups. They’re easy to use. The one in the Grand Highlander Hybrid has voice activation (say, “Hey, Toyota,” then give a command), over-the-air updates, plus wireless Apple (AAPL) CarPlay and Android Auto.

Smart KeyA standard feature, this allows access to the Grand Highlander Hybrid using a phone app. A conventional key is not necessary.

Facial recognitionWith different drivers using the same vehicle, facial recognition can perceive each and dial in preferred settings like cabin temperature and audio settings.

360-degree camera systemAlso known as the Panoramic View Monitor, it gives drivers a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle’s surroundings when maneuvering. Exclusive to the Platinum trim.

Digital rearview mirrorWhen there’s an SUV full of people and stuff, it’s reassuring to have a clear view behind without even the rear pillars getting in the way. This feature in the Platinum trim shows the feed from a wide-angle rear-facing camera.

Traffic Jam AssistPart of the Platinum trim, this feature can take care of the steering, throttle, and brakes at speeds up to 25 mph and when certain conditions are met.

Engine and transmission

The 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid offers a choice of two drivetrains. The XLE and Limited’s setup consists of a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine augmented by an electric motor to generate 245 hp. The regular non-hybrid GH has 265 hp, but a little sacrifice for lower emissions isn’t so bad.

The most potent Hybrid Max configuration is available in the Limited trim and standard in the top Platinum trim, developing 362 hp from an electric motor and a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Unusually, Toyota also quotes a torque figure for this drivetrain, a meaty 400 lb-ft of it.

The smaller hybrid comes with FWD as standard, with the option of AWD on the XLE. AWD is standard on the Limited. Each uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The Max has AWD as standard, along with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The Max drivetrain achieves a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The more modest version can still handle 3,500 pounds.

3-year/36,000-mile warranty

Toyota’s new-vehicle warranty conforms to the class norms of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, with powertrains covered for five years or 60,000 miles. Hybrid batteries have 10 years or 150,000 miles warranties, whereas the typical arrangement is eight years or 100,000 miles. Toyota also includes complimentary scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance over the first two years or 25,000 miles.

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11-14-23 0502ET

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