The Toyota Kluger is a popular SUV nameplate in Australia, but while the Japanese brand’s local division says its future is safe here, there are still no plans to bring the recently revealed all-electric model Down Under.
Speaking with CarExpert, Toyota Australia vice president for sales and marketing, John Pappas, said: “The Kluger does very well for us in Australia, and we plan to continue that nameplate”.
“Regarding the BEV in the US, we’re always looking at options regarding what is made available to us in Australia – that vehicle in right-hand drive is not available to us. If it ever does, we will always look at it.
“So there’s nothing to confirm that we’re getting that car here because it’s not available for our market, but if it ever did become available, we’d very much consider that for our market as a BEV,” Mr Pappas added.
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In February, Toyota USA revealed the all-new 2027 Highlander as an all-electric three-row SUV to rival the likes of the Kia EV9, and it will succeed the current petrol and hybrid Highlander (known here as the Kluger) in North America later this year. Buyers there who want a three-row SUV but who don’t want an EV will still have the option of the larger Grand Highlander, which isn’t offered in Australia.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander EV also forms the basis of the new Subaru Getaway, a lightly restyled version of the Highlander EV which will also be exclusive to North America, at least initially.
The new Toyota EV’s timing is interesting, given Toyota only just started selling the US-built Highlander Hybrid in Japan as part of a new initiative to improve Japan-US trade relations (which also sees the Tundra marketed there), with the American-assembled petrol and hybrid family SUV exported from the States to a number of global markets including Australia and South Korea.
Following the reveal of the new Highlander EV, Toyota Australia told CarExpert it has no plans to drop the Kluger Hybrid, potentially hinting at a major update for markets outside of North America. It’s also worth noting the Highlander/Kluger is produced in China by the FAW Toyota joint venture for the domestic market, where it’s known as the Crown Kluger, leaning on Toyota’s long-running sub-brand.
Speaking of China, last year the brand’s GAC Toyota joint venture confirmed the next-generation Highlander in China will be offered with a range-extender EV (EREV) powertrain option as part of its strategy to better tailor core models for the Chinese market. It’s unclear whether this Highlander EREV will be based on the new Highlander EV, the existing Highlander, or another vehicle altogether.
The latest Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) is compatible with multiple powertrain types – ie hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric (EV) – evidenced by the latest Lexus ES offering hybrid and electric versions in its latest generation. The TNGA-K variation that underpins the new ES also underpins the existing Highlander/Kluger as well as the new Highlander EV.
The fourth-generation Toyota Kluger has been on sale in Australia since 2021, and was launched globally back in 2019. Since mid-way through 2024, the Kluger has been exclusively offered with a hybrid powertrain in Australia, but has previously been available with V6 petrol and four-cylinder turbo-petrol engines.
It consistently ranks among Australia’s favourite large SUVs, though plays second fiddle to the similarly sized Toyota LandCruiser Prado, which last year outsold it by over three-to-one.
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