The 2022 Toyota Kluger is big, comfy and surprisingly familiar. And it’s got a major ace up its sleeve.
- Spacious, practical interior
- Supremely efficient hybrid powertrain
- Soft, comfortable ride quality
- Not the value pick of the range
- Interior not as smart-looking as rivals
- Hybrid powertrain lacks the punch of V6
Introduction
As Toyota continues to roll out its well-regarded closed-loop petrol hybrid technology into more and more models, we’ve got the big-daddy of the bunch. It’s a 2022 Toyota Kluger with the fuel-saving hybrid powertrain in range-topping Grande specification.
No stones unturned, then, for this flagship of the range.
Priced from $75,700, the 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid will line up against the likes of the Hyundai’s Palisade Highlander and Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander diesel ($75,700 and $66,050 respectively), along with the Mazda CX-9 Azami LE turbo petrol and CX-88 Asaki diesel ($73,881 and $69,390) all before on-road costs.
Perhaps the strongest competition comes from Kia’s Sorento, whose top-spec GT-Line can be had as either a frugal 2.2-litre diesel ($65,070), closed-loop hybrid ($66,750) or plug-in hybrid ($80,330) all before on-road costs, the last of which gets 57km of electric-only range and is, for now, unique in its segment.
While the Sorento has no doubt taken big strides forward with its current-generation model, the Kluger strikes out from an enviable position of segment authority. Alongside the extremely popular LandCruiser Prado, the Kluger has been dominating sales figures in the large SUV segment for many years.
And in true Toyota fashion, the recipe hasn’t really changed much in comparison to the previous generation. Sure, there’s a new look inside and out, more tech, a fresh platform, and upgraded safety credentials. However, it’s got an acute sense of familiarity and connection to the previous generation.
The real ace up the sleeve for the Kluger is the ‘Hybrid Synergy Drive’ powertrain, which Toyota (and Lexus) has applied to a majority of its range. It’s a hybrid electric vehicle, but one that doesn’t need plugging in at any time.
Instead of the 3.5-litre petrol V6 found elsewhere in the range, the Kluger Hybrid is powered by a is a four-cylinder engine. It’s a 2.5-litre unit, which runs on the frugal Atkinson Cycle and makes 142kW @ 6000rpm and 242Nm @ 4400rpm on its own, though that’s not the whole story.
The petrol engine runs through a continuously variable automatic transmission, which is also tasked with blending the outputs of the 134kW/270Nm electric motors up front. There is a smaller 40kW/121Nm motor powering the rear axle, though without any mechanical connection to the front wheels.
The petrol engine only powers the front wheels, but the rear electric motor gives the all-wheel drive ability. Toyota doesn’t quote a peak combined torque output with this setup, but peak power is set at 184kW, 34 kilowatts less than the V6.
A 6.5Ah nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery is charged up during driving, coasting and braking. It’s not there for a pure-electric driving range, though it can manage short bursts of low-speed and coasting without help from the petrol engine. It harvests back otherwise lost energy and uses it to supplement the petrol engine and reduce fuel consumption.
Grande is a big jump in asking price over the mis-spec GXL, but there is some unique gear that helps to set this specification apart: projector LED headlights, powered rear tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, a premium interior treatment, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, head-up display, 360-degree camera and 11-speaker JBL sound system.
| Key details | 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid |
| Price (MSRP) | $75,700 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Saturn Blue |
| Options | Premium beige interior – no cost Metallic paint – $675 Rear seat entertainment pack – $1500 |
| Price as tested | $76,375 plus on-road costs $82,323 drive-away (Sydney) |
| Rivals | Mazda CX-9 | Hyundai Palisade | Kia Sorento |
Inside
If the Kluger were a cricketer, it would be Rahul ‘The Wall’ Dravid. It gets the job done with impressive skill, even when under pressure. But it perhaps doesn’t do it with the same kind of theatre as other options out there, like the VVS Laxmans of the world.
That safe, solid and conservative demeanour is perhaps most seen on the inside. There are lots of cues and design elements lifted directly from the previous-generation model. The handy storage shelf that runs along the dashboard and the sliding centre console lid being two. There are three USB-A power outlets up front and two in the rear, along with two front 12V points, but no wireless charging pad.
This Grande specification adds a fair chunk of trinkets atop of the GXL, with smaller details like ambient interior lighting and metal scuff plates joining heating, venting and memory for the electric ‘premium’ seats which replace the GXL’s faux-leather trim with quilted and perforated partial leather trim.
The rear-seat entertainment screen fitted to the vehicle shown is optional, which in turn reduces the size of the standard moonroof to just a sunroof over the front seats.
Although the Kluger is an all-new model, it feels old hat in a few respects. Against the likes of a Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota has stuck with a conservative and traditional look and feel for the Kluger. Some might think it’s not special enough for a new car worth more than seventy thousand dollars.
Where the wow factor might come in, then, is through straight practicality and space. The Kluger trades well in storage space with the big centre console, dashboard shelf, and door bins able to absorb large volumes of your daily carry.
You get a sense of the Kluger’s size when you slide into the second row. This is a big vehicle, after all. And even with a big human in the driver’s seat, there is enough room behind for a carbon copy in the back. There are climate-controlled air vents in the roof and power outlets near the floor, and the 60/40 seats slide and tilt in all directions.
The third row isn’t bad, either. It’s not the biggest in the segment, however. Those who want the biggest third row should look at a Hyundai Palisade, or swallow their misplaced price and buy a Kia Carnival people mover. But for a third row that is going to see more than occasional use by kids, teenagers and adults alike, the Kluger has the right amount of space available for the job. There are air vents and cupholders in the cheap seats as well, which will keep occupants happy.
In seven-seat mode, the leftover boot in the Kluger isn’t huge. Its 241L would be enough for a grocery run, and you could probably load a half-dozen backpacks in there. But as a five-seater, 552L is available and would take a significant amount of gear to fill up.
| 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid | |
| Seats | Seven |
| Boot volume | 241L to third row 552L to second row 1150L to first row |
| Length | 4966mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Height | 1755mm |
| Wheelbase | 2850mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
In a world where screens are getting bigger and things like buttons are disappearing, the Kluger’s infotainment display appears a little old hat. It measures in at only 8.0 inches, which is shared across the range and feels small at this price point especially when top trims in overseas markets have access to a 12.3-inch display.
It’s also surrounded by buttons and dials that might seem old-fashioned, but make operation and navigation through the operating system dead easy.
Along with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Kluger Grande picks up digital radio, native navigation, and an 11-speaker JBL sound system, the last of which is unique to the Grande.
In front of the driver, there is a 7.0-inch multifunction display that is a little bigger than the typical portrait-style screen for your trip computer readouts. It also goes into more detail around the hybrid powertrain – always interesting to keep an eye on – along with some of the more advanced driving aids.
Those who want more digital acreage and pixel power won’t need to look far to find it. Kia’s Sorento jumps to mind with its larger 10.25-inch infotainment display and 12.3-inch instrument cluster.
However, the Kluger’s more humble set-up works well. It’s easy to navigate and operate, and feels fit for purpose. However, it’s one element that leaves the GXL and GX feeling like smarter buying.
Safety and Technology
Going up against the stringent 2021 ANCAP crash-testing regime, the Toyota Kluger managed to score five stars. This included relatively high scores of 90 per cent and 88 per cent for adult and child occupant protection respectively.
Safety equipment that is standard across the board includes autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure alert, automatic high beam, adaptive cruise control and speed sign recognition.
Equipment that only the Grande gets is a head-up display, more powerful projector LED headlamps, a 360-degree camera system, and auto-dimming rear view mirror.
| 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2021) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
Value for Money
Those wanting to buy a Toyota Kluger likely want the hybrid variant, which costs just under $3000 more than a V6 all-wheel-drive Grande. It makes sense considering the fuel savings that one will make over the life of the vehicle. However, we’d prefer to look at the GXL or GX specification grades for the best value for money.
The Grande feels a little expensive in comparison to high-spec, all-wheel-drive variants of other large SUVs. Examples from Kia, Hyundai and Mazda all cannot match the high asking price of the Kluger Grande.
Sure, some might really want niceties like heated and vented seats; however, the step up to the Grande is a big one. If it were my money, I’d be zooming in on the GXL Hybrid.
| At a glance | 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $750 (3 years), $1250 (5 years) |
Even GX grade, which has cloth seats with manual adjustment and a more basic overall trim, is a comfortable and practical vehicle well-suited to the daily grind.
Servicing is set at only $250 per year for the first five years, which is quite cheap for a vehicle of this size. Once you get on the other side of this, however, prices increase quite a bit. But if you combine that with the cheap running costs, the Kluger Hybrid stacks up well over the life of your planned ownership.
The requirement of premium fuel – something not shared with the non-hybrid 3.5-litre V6 engine – would make each tank of fuel cost a little more. However, the fact you’re visiting the bowser less often with the hybrid powertrain is a welcome one.
Toyota’s official claim for the Kluger hybrid is 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres. In testing we settled at 6.6L/100km, which for a car of its size, is still very impressive.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 5.6L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 6.6L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95 octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 65L |
Driving
Initially I noticed that the Kluger didn’t seem to have as much engine-off time as you’d have in a hybrid RAV4 or Corolla. Our test car had 15,000km on it, and it looked to have had quite a hard life before it arrived at Drive.
The 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine seems to be doing a lot of work from the driver’s seat, sometimes working hard to get the Kluger accelerating. I started thinking that maybe this bigger Kluger wouldn’t get the same economy benefits as smaller hybrid Toyotas, which have always been impressive. However, I was wrong.
Be like the squirrel, it seems. This hybrid powertrain is able to – piece by piece – save portions of fuel during normal driving. They’re only small savings, but they combine into an impressive overall number.
Against a claim of 5.6 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, we saw 6.6L/100km during our time with the car. The worst I saw was 6.8L/100km. And while it’s higher than the claim, it is still impressive fuel economy from this hybrid vehicle. This is a saving of approximately 4L/100km in comparison to the 3.5-litre petrol V6 claimed consumption, and no doubt more still in real-world conditions.
This big gain in efficiency does come with a loss of performance, with the hybrid Kluger not seeming to carry the same outright punch as the V6. The engine sometimes flares and drones as it groans against the heft of a Kluger Grande. However, outright performance is good enough for daily usability. This compares favourably against the Sorento diesel, which uses between 7.0–8.5L/100km.
In terms of ride quality, there is a slight bit of crashiness present in the Kluger, which is most noticeable around town on rougher surfaces at times. Driving at higher speeds is better, but the lower-speed stuff felt like body control was a little lacking. The comfort is overall quite good, with a soft and cushy nature that befits the application.
Driving around town between 40–60km/h, there are extended periods of engine-off driving. The devil is in the detail, however, with the electric motors still doing plenty of heavy lifting behind the scenes when the engine is running. Then, as you’re onto the brakes and easing off the throttle, the motors switch off quickly.
The important thing is that it’s all quite seamless and barely noticeable from the driver’s seat.
Its steering is light and easy, and the turning circle – 11.4m – is average for this size of SUV. And while visibility is overall decent for tight manoeuvres, the 360-degree camera system in this Grande is a welcome addition.
For those who want to spend a lot of time behind the wheel – with their family no doubt – the ease of operation would be appreciated.
| Key details | 2022 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid |
| Engine | 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid |
| Power | 142kW @ 6000rpm petrol 134kW front electric 40kW rear electric 184kW combined |
| Torque | 242Nm @ 4400rpm petrol 270Nm front electric 121Nm rear electric |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | CVT automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 88kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2090kg |
| Tow rating | 2000kg braked, 700kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.4m |
Conclusion
It’s little surprise that the Toyota Kluger continues to be such a popular option amongst the large SUV set. It’s a vehicle that needed to bring its A-game considering how good some of the new competition is out there.
And as we found in our Drive Car of the Year testing, the Kluger is the best of the segment. It beat out the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Palisade – both very good vehicles in their own right – to the crown.
Toyota has stuck close to its comfort zone with the new Kluger, clearly not changing things for the sake of it. But Toyota has crucially brought this generation of the model up to speed with its safety and technology credentials. It’s big, comfortable, safe, and easy to live with.
The infotainment isn’t the most impressive out there, and the overall presentation of the interior feels a little dull in comparison to others in the market. But the important elements of practicality, storage, power outlets and air vents are all well accounted for.
And with that fuel-saving hybrid powertrain, the Kluger will only be more appealing to Australian families. It’s a shame for many that a global production slowdown has seen big waiting lists for many makes and models, including the new Toyota Kluger. It’s a very good large SUV, however, and will be worth the wait.
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