2023 Toyota Grand Highlander Will Be a Seven-Seater

According to the latest reports, new 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander is on the way. It is official, after Toyota trademarked the Grand Highlander name. Like the Jeep, Toyota will introduce a three-row variant of its popular SUV. Logically, Grand Highlander will be larger than the regular Highlander SUV.

Since this model gained a complete redesign in 2020, new one will introduce mid-cycle facelift. This means the all-new Grand Highlander will wear the same updates as its smaller sibling. Mechanically, we don’t expect any surprises. The sales will reportedly begin at some point next year.

2023 Grand Highlander Design

The forthcoming 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander will wear the same styling as the regular variant. Of course, this one will be larger. Thanks to that, Toyota will deliver extended wheelbase. On top of that, the Grand Highlander will slot below the full-size body-on-frame Sequoia SUV. Styling-wise, Grand Highlander won’t depart from the regular Highlander.

However, we could expect new larger wheels, slightly larger exterior elements and possibly unique exterior paints. Besides that, everything else will be the same. As we said, Toyota will provide mid-cycle upgrades to the Highlander SUV, so this larger version will gain the same appearance.

Interior Room

The 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander will be a large SUV. An expanded body can solve one of the Highlander’s most major shortcomings: a lack of rear-seat legroom. Extra body length allows designers to enhance rear passenger legroom and luggage space. With all seats folded flat, the present layout yields 84 cubic feet.

The Grand Highlander might exceed 100 cubic feet and the addition of a long-wheelbase variant. Again, the manufacturer won’t deliver any surprises when it comes to interior updates. Two models will look the same, but Grand Highlander will be a three-row variant. Even the trim levels will be exactly the same.

What About Engine Options?

The current Highlander SUV comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. The second option is a hybrid powertrain. It is a hybrid-assisted 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 243 horsepower. Most likely, the 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander will offer the same engine lineup. Some reports are predicting a smaller 2.0-liter engine from the Corolla Cross model. However, this unit is not potent enough for such a large SUV.

On the other hand, Tundra truck offers a powerful twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine. Moreover, this model will also gain a diesel-hybrid powertrain as well. The regular V6 engine comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and it provides more than enough power. However, we like the hybrid option that provides 35 mpg combined.

2023 Toyota Grand Highlander Price and Release Date

The brand-new 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander will start at around $40,000, or slightly above that. We are waiting to hear more details about this large SUV. This should happen by the end of 2021. On top of that, the sales will most likely begin in the second half of 2022.