Toyota Kluger – What you need to know

An all-new Toyota Kluger lobbed on our shores in 2021 and, like its predecessors, it is one of the country’s most popular large SUVs.

Riding on a new platform, the fourth-generation Kluger is a one-stop shop when it comes to the engine, transmission and driveline across three model grades: GX, GXL and Grande.

All have a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with two motor generators – one up front and one at the rear – along with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and on-demand all-wheel drive.

Entry to the seven-seat Toyota Kluger range starts with the $60,920 (plus on-road costs) GX that has the following standard features:

The only option is premium paint for $675. Toyota has cleverly made Eclipse Black the only standard hue, knowing buyers are likely to stump up the extra bucks to have another of the six colours offered.

As standard, the 2025 Toyota Kluger has anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, hill-start assist, seven airbags, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear and front parking sensors, lane departure warning, three child seat anchor points and a reversing camera with guidelines.

Under the Toyota Safety Sense banner comes a plethora of features including autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, intersection turn assist, lane departure warning with steering assist, auto high-beam for the LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, lane trace assist and speed sign recognition.

Taking a giant step up to the top-dog Grande adds a 360-degree panoramic view monitor, head-up display and an auto dimming mirror.

The Kluger GX and GXL make do with a 7.0-inch colour multi-information dash display with the Grande scoring a 12.3-inch screen.

In the entry-level Kluger GX is an 8.0-inch colour infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, digital radio and Bluetooth streaming.

Throw in a few more dollars for the GXL and your dash gets a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen, but if you want the premium JBL audio system with 11 speakers, it’s straight to the wallet to dig deeper again for the Grande.

All Toyota Klugers have three front and two rear USB ports plus two 12V power outlets.

All Klugers come with power windows, smart entry and start, an electric park brake and luggage area hooks. Also standard is a leather-accented steering wheel and gear lever, carpet floormats, tilt/telescopic steering column, a centre console with storage bin, 60/40 split-fold seats in rows two and three, a cargo cover, and cup and bottle holders for everyone.

Outside all Klugers adopt a rear spoiler, body-coloured door handles, heated power door mirrors, daytime running lights, fog lamps, rear privacy glass, and mudflaps front and back.

Do you prefer the practicality of black fabric upholstery or more sumptuous, black leather-accented trim?

If it’s the former, the Kluger GX is the one for you, but the mid-spec Kluger GXL is one to have as a minimum for the cowhide accents. If you want a lighter colour trim, the Grande also offers beige leather accents plus wood-look door trims.

Kluger seats range from basic to spiffy. There’s manual adjustment for the driver’s seat in the Kluger GX but step up to the Kluger GXL and the two eight-way powered front seats are heated, with the driver seat adding powered lumbar support. Another step up to the Grande ensures year-round comfort for those up front with the pews also having a cooling function as well as a memory function for the driver’s seat.

Is a powered tailgate and roof rails a ‘must have’?

You only have to go as far as the GXL to snare these features.

How about a sunroof?

This is an exclusive Grande feature, along with projector LED headlights, a chrome grille, painted rear lower bumper, a body-coloured shark-fin antenna, 20-inch ‘Chromtec’ wheels, a gesture sensor on the powered tailgate, retractable sunshades on the second-row windows, and ambient interior lighting.

Are selectable drive modes on the wish list?

The good news is all Klugers have three selectable settings: Normal, Eco and Sport.

Let’s see if the Toyota Kluger will fit in your garage. Being a seven-seater it’s long at 4966mm, with a mirror-to-mirror width of 1930mm and a height of 1755mm.

Kerb and gross weights vary between 2050kg to 2095kg and 2705 to 2750kg respectively.

Towing capacity is important for many buyers and the Kluger can haul up to a braked limit of 2000kg. As for cargo, the Kluger has 241 litres of space with three rows of seats in place, 552 litres with the third row folded, and 1150 litres when rows two and three are dropped down.

All 2025 Toyota Klugers have a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with hybrid assist in the form of two electric motors, one up front and one at the rear. Sipping on 95 RON fuel, the combined output is 184kW and 242Nm.

There’s also the one transmission offered, a continuously variable transmission or CVT, and all Kluger variants have on-demand all-wheel drive.

Unless you love washing cars, it’s a pity you have to fork over an extra $675 to not have black.

Given all variants have the same running gear, your choice of Kluger all boils down to dollars versus features. For me, it’s the GXL that hits the sweet spot, offering enough features and value to satisfy most buyers.

Granted it misses out on a sunroof, vented front seats and flashier trim, but are they really necessary? And you still get a mountain of standard kit in the GXL.

Best of all, the GXL saves you $12K over the Grande. So for me it’s an easy choice.

How much does the Toyota Kluger cost?
Kluger GX AWD – $60,920
Kluger GXL AWD – $70,440
Kluger Grande AWD – $82,860
*Prices exclude on-road costs

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