All-New Toyota Kluger Revealed in New York

April 18, 2019

Toyota has debuted a next-generation Kluger SUV with a bold, distinctive design and advances in safety, comfort, quality and reliability.

The world premiere of the fourth-generation Kluger at the New York International Auto Show reveals a dramatic new design direction that combines a powerful SUV presence with sophisticated detailing.

A sculpted new shape, with chiselled lines and 60mm longer body*, gives the all-new family-friendly Kluger more attitude with a stronger stance, including 20-inch wheels available for the first time in a Toyota.

Inside the three-row cabin, designers took inspiration from luxury crafted interiors to create a more premium ambience with softer padded surfaces and a more tailored appearance.

The extra body length contributes to a more flexible interior with added cargo space and an extra 30mm slide for the second row of seats, increasing legroom in the third row.

Improved aerodynamic efficiency enhances vehicle stability and results in a quieter cabin, creating an ideal environment to appreciate the intuitive and versatile multimedia system with an available 12.3-inch touchscreen display, the largest in its class.

Underpinning the fresh design is a robust new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) platform, 220kW V6 petrol engine, front and all-wheel-drive (AWD) systems and Toyota Safety Sense^ driver-assist technologies designed to help prevent collisions or to mitigate their impacts.

Toyota Australia vice president sales and marketing Sean Hanley said the new-generation Kluger is even safer and more enjoyable for families, offering greater visual appeal, new convenience and peace-of-mind technologies, and increased driving refinement.

“The new-generation model expands Kluger’s role as a genuine crossover vehicle, offering the comfort, convenience and safety of a passenger car combined with the off-road ability of many traditional 4WD vehicles,” Mr Hanley said.

“Kluger’s new platform and driver-assist technologies dial-up the fun-to-drive factor by making it even more agile on all road surfaces as well as being more surefooted with its ability in the bush,” he said.

All-new Kluger’s TNGA-K platform offers exemplary collision protection through extensive use of high-strength steels that result in a stiffer structure.

Its inherent strength allows tuning for the front strut and rear multi-link suspension that enhances agility while providing a smoother and quieter ride.

Kluger’s powerful 220kW 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine is the epitome of smoothness, equipped with Toyota’s D-4S injection system that combines direct fuel injection with port fuel injectors for optimum efficiency, power and emissions.

The engine – featuring dual variable valve timing with intelligence for ideal response and efficiency – is mated to a direct shift eight-speed automatic transmission that seamlessly maximises Kluger’s acceleration and highway merging capability.

Toyota Safety Sense – a standard suite of driver-assist technologies – includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, all-speed active cruise control, lane trace assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beam and road sign assist.

Blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert are available depending on the model grade. A reversing camera is standard.

The all-new Kluger’s mechanical AWD system can send up to 50 per cent of available torque to the rear wheels to counter wheel slip when necessary.

An available dynamic torque vectoring AWD with drive-mode select and rear-driveline disconnect delivers even greater agility and capability.

This advanced system actively manages torque distribution between the left and right rear wheels, as well as between the front and rear axles.

Using sophisticated AWD integrated management for optimal handling, it co-ordinates electric power steering, throttle control, transmission shift control and drive torque distribution. It is also equipped with a multi-terrain select control dial that offers maximum traction over mud, sand, rock and dirt.

Kluger’s on-road and off-road performance and safety features also include hill-start assist and trailer sway control with AWD variants offering downhill assist control.

In Australia, Kluger has passed 170,000 sales including record sales last year of 14,743 vehicles, making it the best-selling 2WD/AWD vehicle in the large SUV segment.

The new-generation Kluger will be launched first in the United States where it is known as Highlander. Timing for its Australian introduction has not yet been determined.

Click images below to preview:

*Next-generation Toyota Kluger (pre-production overseas model shown)