Toyota's big bruiser gets more upmarket.
After an unveiling at the New York Motorshow last year, the 2017 Toyota Kluger is confirmed to be inbound, bringing with it more power, sharper styling, and “improved convenience,” according to the manufacturer. The local introduction is expected to take place late next month.
The revised Kluger soldiers on with the same V6 engine, but it’s been looked through and revised to offer an 8% increase in power, bringing the numbers up to 218kW and 350Nm. The revised engine is matched to a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which helps boost fuel economy by roughly 10%. The fuel consumption is now claimed to be between 9.1l/100km and 9.5l/100km depending on the variant.
Toyota’s seven-seat family wagon will be offered in 2WD and 4WD; the 4WD models will supply power to slipping wheels on-demand, with the car operating in a front-wheel drive fashion for the most part to save fuel. When necessary, up to 50% of the power can go to the rear wheels to aid progress. Additionally, there are things like seven airbags, reverse camera and sensors, ABS, EBD, TSC, and hill-assist to aid its safety credentials.
The Kluger is likely to be offered in three variants, namely the GX, GXL, and Grande (like the Starbucks coffee size). The GXL will come with things like an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, GPS navigation, digital radio, and a powered tailgate. It’ll also come with tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, roof rails, premium gear lever and steering wheel, leather-accented seats, with power adjustment and heating available for the two front pews.
The Grande adds to that list even more safety kit. It brings aboard things like rear cross-traffic alert (to prevent drivers from reversing into traffic), lane departure alert (with steering control & sway warning), and an all-round view monitor (a real boon for cars in this size category). The interior of all cars will adopt more soft-touch materials with bright accents; the GX and GXL will be finished wth silver-metallic trim pieces dotted around the cabin, while the Grande gets a silver-woodgrain look finish, and blue LED ambient lighting.
On the outside, the Kluger will see a new grille, finished in silver on GX & GXL cars, with chrome for the Grande. The taillights now adopt a sleeker look, replete with LEDs, while the Grande adds to this a chrome bumper garnish.
Tony Cramb, an executive director at Toyota Australia, had this to say: “The latest updates to the Kluger are focused areas that owners will appreciate: Enhanced drivability, quicker overtaking, substantially improved economy, and the added convenience of new features.” Pricing and final specifications will be revealed closer to the Kluger’s launch date.
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