Toyota Kluger 2017 Review

The low down
This is the first makeover for the Toyota Kluger since 2014 and the styling changes are most obvious at the front with a new grille and repositioned LED daytime running lights. Just some minor changes for the rear.

Inside there is more standard equipment, while under the bonnet the long-running V6 petrol engine gets a power boosting touch up and now drives via a modern eight-speed automatic transmission.

The changes don’t come cheap with the Kluger range now starting at $43,500 plus on-road costs for the front-drive GX model (up $1360) and moving as high as $69,935 for the all-wheel drive Grande tested here. Price rises vary according to model grade with the mid-range GXL 2WD copping the largest increase of $2360.

Yes, the Kluger is decidedly more expensive than its immediate rivals – Hyundai Sante Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9 and Nissan Pathfinder – nevertheless buyers have voted with their wallets and Toyota’s finest individually outsells nearly all of those vehicles two-to-one.

Standard fare across the range comprises air-conditioning, cruise control, electric power steering, six-speaker display audio with Toyota Link connected mobility, front fog lights, privacy glass and power-adjustable exterior mirrors.

The GXL variant adds an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav and digital radio, three-zone climate-control, keyless entry and ignition, roof rails, leather-accented seats, a powered tailgate, heated front seats and a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.

In addition, the range-topping Grande receives a tilt-and-slide sunroof, ventilated front seats with two-position memory for the driver, 9.0-inch rear-seat entertainment system with Blu-ray player, heated external mirrors with memory and puddle lamps, auto-dimming rear view mirror, second-row retractable sunblinds and a back-guide monitor for the reversing camera.

All Kluger models provide three child restraint points across the middle row of seats, plus two ISOFIX points on the outside pews.

Assisted by seven airbags, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and the latest acronyms in driver aids (stability control etc.), Toyota Kluger scores the maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP.

But access to modern safety functions is an expensive exercise and, as per the previous generation, only the flagship Grande model is equipped with high-tech extras like a pre-collision system, autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane departure alert (with steering control and sway warning), rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitor and auto high beam.

Furthermore, only the top-shelf model runs a four-camera panoramic view monitor, front parking sensors and rear-cross-traffic alert.

The equipment shortage leaves you contemplating one, over-riding sentiment: has Toyota done enough?

Familiar feel
Settling into the Toyota Kluger Grande’s cockpit isn’t a particularly inspiring experience, but it is comfortable. The Kluger’s generous interior proportions enable a homely and cosseting ambience in the cabin, which scores a minor boost with some leather stitching in the dashboard and, in our flagship Grande, heat seating and cooling, a flipdown entertainment screen, thick carpets and soft-touch materials for the contact points.

The infotainment suite looks good from afar but is burdened by some idiosyncrasies. Operating the centre 8.0-inch colour touchscreen is possible either by pressing the screen itself or sinking your digits into the finicky hard-wired buttons surrounding the display.

However many of the same functions can be accessed via a matching colour screen in the driver’s digital instrument cluster. The smaller projection works well, though, in today’s ‘Nanny State’ age, we’d really like to see a digital speedo.

No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in the Kluger. Instead Toyota has persisted with its own in-house infotainment package which lacks the functionality and interactivity of either of those two increasingly popular systems.

Toyota Kluger is manufactured in Indiana, North America and there is a decidedly American theme to the cabin. Those U.S. quirks include oversized (almost novelty-like) centre cupholders, the foot-operated park brake, broad front seats and a slabby, angular dashboard design. Storage and space are clearly key buying motives here.

Kluger’s generous interior proportions enable ample seating space for five people across the first two rows, and the rearmost bleachers are easily accessed via second row seats which slide forward and tilt. Unlike some rivals there is no tumbling function for the second row but once seated in row three it is possible to create a happy medium for leg space – just ask the middle row occupants to slide their seats forward a pinch. Another coup: all three rows receive face-level air vents.

With the rearmost seats in place, the Kluger offers a modest 195 litres in boot space, making it virtually untenable as a big-time suitcase carrier. But stow one or both of the rear chairs and you instantly liberate more room – as much as 529 litres when both are flat to the floor, and more again if you choose to also stow the second row of seats completely flat. Which is very impressive, especially when you factor-in the space occupied by the full-size spare wheel.

From the driver’s seat, the Kluger offers a commanding view of the road. Generous side mirrors and the large rear window aperture provide a good look of the immediate rear surrounds.

Power play
Some of the biggest changes to the Kluger range for 2017 have occurred under the bonnet.

A 3.5-litre V6 petrol remains the sole engine choice across the range but, thanks to new direct injection technology and a higher compression ratio, you now get 218kW of power (up 17kW) and 350Nm of torque (up 13Nm).

In all honesty, the previous Kluger wasn’t exactly short on mumbo, so the changes have only broadened its appeal as a vehicle with effortless cruising and overtaking abilities. The engine is more than a match for the Kluger’s 2100kg kerb weight, and will happily rev out to the higher end of the dial if more urgency is required. Towing capacity is 2.0-tonnes braked and we would imagine the Kluger performs well even when lugging a large load.

A new eight-speed automatic has been fitted to offset one of the Kluger’s long-running qualms: excessive fuel use. In trying to achieve Toyota’s claimed 9.5l/100km consumption (9.1l/100km in two-wheel-drive models), the transmission is keen to push for a higher gear at all times, at any expense.

While this approach works in theory, in practice is can make for an occasionally frustrating driving experience. Whereas the previous generation with its six-speed automatic offered a rich, creamy on-road power curve, relying on prodigious torque to muster energy from low speeds and out of corners, the new transmission means the Kluger is often shuffling between ratios. Even a modest prod of the accelerator results in lurching back a couple of gears, hesitating in the process, before powering ahead.

The second part of this story is fuel use. Despite Toyota’s attempts, the Kluger still guzzled 10.5L/100km during our 500km road test which comprised mostly highway driving. A city-only commute would easily push that figure into the mid-teens.

Plying that power to the ground is a competent all-wheel drive system which is confident and benign in the way it apportions drive. Under heavy acceleration, the all-paw system hooks up nicely and resists the severe tram-lining issue which tends to blight front-drive Kluger models. The system is an on-demand one, so in typical cruising conditions it will revert to a fuel-saving front-biased mode.

Elsewhere, the Kluger’s dynamic skill set is clearly geared towards comfort rather than outright cornering capability. Even on the Grande’s 19-inch wheels, the seven-seater’s ride feels well acquitted on country roads, ironing out most surface imperfections and isolating occupants from external road noise and wind noise.

Clearly the Kluger isn’t as inspiring through the bends as, say, Mazda’s CX-9 – a moot point, many buyers in this segment would argue. But the steering offers ample precision and weighting and the body remains well controlled through all but the toughest of bends.

The all-wheel drive Kluger driven here offered hill descent assist, hill start assist and a lockable differential - though in reality, the extent of off-roading ability would be a gravel road.

Re-sale remains a strong point, and servicing costs are unchanged if using Toyota’s national scheme – just $180 a service. The intervals are spaced more regularly than rivals, at every six months or 10,000 kilometres. A three-year, 100,000km warranty is offered.

The big Toyota isn’t perfect, but as a road-governed seven-seater, its large proportions and no-frills approach make plenty of sense.

2017 Toyota Kluger Grande AWD pricing and specifications:
Price: $69,935 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 218kW/350Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 221g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Thanks to Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, for their assistance with the photo shoot.