Toyota will expand its lineup of family vehicles early next year with a new three-row SUV. It’s called the Grand Highlander, and Toyota will reveal it on February 8, 2023, ahead of the Chicago Auto Show.
Toyota says the new Grand Highlander will be “sophisticated, spacious, and powerful,” calling it “the ultimate road-trip vehicle.” The automaker had little else to share about the new model, which first popped up on our radars in early 2021 after Toyota filed a trademark for the Grand Highlander name in the US and Canada.
Gallery: 2023 Toyota Highlander
A few months after that filing, a report revealed that Toyota would launch the Grand Highlander in early 2023, which turned out to be true. The report said that the SUV would slot between the current Highlander, already offered with three rows, and the bigger body-on-frame Sequoia.
The lone teaser image that Toyota shared shows off the new SUV’s stylish backside, and the rear end has a unique design that’s different from the Highlander and Sequoia’s. The Toyota badge is visible above the name that sits between and connects the taillight units. On the lower edge of the tailgate is a “Hybrid Max” badge, likely indicating the SUV’s powertrain.
Toyota launched the Hybrid Max moniker earlier this year on the new Crown. It’s a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired with two electric motors. The entire system produces 340 horsepower (253 kilowatts) in the Crown, which is available with a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It’s unclear if the Grand Highlander will get the same setup or something else that falls under the same powertrain branding.
The larger Grand Highlander in Toyota’s lineup is expected to spawn a Lexus equivalent called the TX. A report from earlier this year said that the new TX would shimmy its way between the RX L crossover and the GX and LX SUVs in the lineup and that it would launch in 2023, too. However, the Lexus will allegedly break cover six months after the Toyota variant, so we expect a reveal around August or September for the more luxurious offering.
