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What's the difference?
So, a big SUV like the Toyota Kluger Grande is on your shopping list, but how well will a hybrid version work for you?
Chances are you're a parent - the Kluger is a family favourite after all. And if you’re a parent take comfort in knowing this review of the Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid is being written by a fellow parent.
A parent who has been up since 5:00am with a toddler who threw breakfast on the floor, somebody who’s already done the school run with the eight-year old and is on their third cup of coffee. And it’s only 9:00am.
What does this have to do with cars? Everything - well, it does for family cars, anyway.
The family car is a vital tool and if it doesn’t work properly, not just mechanically but in a practical and financial way, it’s not going to be much help. A good family car needs to be easy to use as well.
Because you’re also a sleep-deprived parent I’m not going to make you trawl through this entire review to find out if the Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid is any good.
So, let me tell you now, it’s excellent and outstanding among its rivals like the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Sorento or Nissan Pathfinder. It’s exceptional for its roominess, cabin storage and low ownership costs.
Does being a hybrid matter or change things? Absolutely. It'll save you money on fuel and make driving smoother. So, in my books you'd be bananas not get the hybrid version.
So, there you have it - buy it. Seriously. There’s a reason why it's so popular among families.
You only have to look at the car park at the pool I take my son to for his swimming lessons.
Last weekend I ended up in a Kluger traffic jam in there. See, I took a photo because I thought it was funny. My son did not. What would be the collective noun for a group Klugers?
Anyway, the reason why you should continue reading is because I think you don’t need to get the top-grade Grande as it’s too pricey. Read on to save some money and find out more…
The Nissan X-Trail has finally seen a proper restyling – one that has made it competitive on the design front with other medium SUVs, like Australia’s darling, the Toyota RAV4 and the sporty Mazda CX-5.
Both of which are heavy-hitters in their category and the broader family car market! However, this version of the X-Trail has a rare feature for the class and that’s an additional two seats in the rear.
Yep, it’s a seven-seater! It’s something that immediately sets it apart from most of its rivals but is it the ‘winning feature’? I’ve been testing this out with my family of three to find out for you.
The Kluger Grande Hybrid is outstanding among its peers for fuel efficiency, practicality and ownership costs. It's just that this grade is overly expensive. Really the GXL is the sweet spot in the range for value but you do miss out on some good features such as the sun blinds and leather seats.
That said, hybrid is the way to go with a large SUV, delivering fuel savings and a more peaceful driving experience.
Comfortable, easy, practical and peaceful, that's all parents really want.
The Nissan X-Trail ST-L 7 Seat is easy to drive, has some great features and fit my family of three just fine. The on-road handling is solid and there’s enough power under the bonnet for longer road trips. On a car this size, I’m not sure those extra two seats are worth losing the boot space but if you occasionally need to ferry your kid's friend to a game or something, it will be worthwhile. There are a few little things that aren’t quite up to a standard I like to see but overall, we like this one and it gets a 7.5/10 from us.
The Toyota Kluger is the New Balance sneaker of cars. Yep, Toyota has nailed Mum-and-Dad fashion with the look of the Kluger, without any hint of irony.
This generation came out in 2021 and you can guarantee Toyota won’t bring out a new-gen version until about 2028, possibly 2030.
And even then that one will also look like a loaf of bread, just with a different face. Like this one, and the last one and the one before that.
That reminds me, we need bread.
The Kluger looks tough, but not elegant. It looks modern, but not avante-garde. It looks functional and tells the world, 'if it wasn’t for the kids I wouldn’t be driving this'.
Get past the Kluger Grande’s uninspiring exterior and you’ll find a surprisingly upmarket cabin that's full of air and light, well appointed with premium seats as well as a modern and stylish dashboard.
The Grande grade adds some nice trimmings I didn't mention in the features section such as the wood-look elements, ambient lighting, and the soft-touch instrument panel.
The exterior also gains chrome elements in the grille, roof rails and larger 20-inch chrome-look wheels.
There are some elements which bring the tone down in the cabin. The JBL speakers in the windscreen pillars look like big plastic novelty ears and the wood-look trim doesn’t look or feel like wood (why didn’t they use real wood?), but it’s not worth getting uppity about.
There was something robustly charming about the previous X-Trail shape and while the overall size has been maintained, most of the squared edges have been softened in the new model.
It makes it appear far more modern and it should maintain its kerbside appeal for years to come.
There’s quite a lot of chrome on the grille, making it look enormous. However, the black plastic moulding that wraps the car at its base helps it look sportier than it has the right to look. As does the dark privacy glass at the rear.
The interior hosts soft touchpoints, synthetic leather trims and wood-like grey panelling to create an upmarket finish.
I'm not a massive fan of the brown/black two-toned trim on the dashboard and doors; it just doesn't land with me.
But it does create a bit of interest for the cabin space.
The Kluger is vastly more practical than many of its rivals despite them also being large and seven seaters.
That’s because the Kluger’s use of space inside is excellent for storage, luggage and people. There’s thoughtful practicality everywhere.
Take the Kluger’s dashboard, which doesn’t eat into the cabin too much and has built-in shelves running the width from front passenger to driver.
And the centre console box with its roller door opening that reveals a wireless phone charger and below that deck is a huge hidden space.
There are cupholders in all three rows and generously sized door pockets.
Legroom in the second row is excellent and I can sit behind my driving position even though I'm 189cm tall.
I could sit in the third row, but my head touched the roof and my knees were getting friendly with the back of the seat in front. As with most third rows in SUVs they’re best suited for kids.
Along with the wireless phone charger there are seven USB ports (five up front and two in the second row).
Three-zone climate control means the second row can set their temperature (this comes on the GXL grade, too), and the Grande adds sun blinds and privacy glass to the rear windows.
The rear doors also open tall and wide making entry and exit easy.
The tailgate opens high so there's less chance of bumping your head and it’s the gesture type which means you use a kick motion to open if your hands are full.
Boot space is excellent. The cargo capacity with the third row folded flat is 552 litres and with the third row up its 421 litres.
For my little family’s needs this week, I found it to be fairly practical most of the time. The front and middle rows have loads of space and even taller passengers will find comfort with the legroom and headroom in both!
The third row should be considered as ’sometimes’ seats for kids because the legroom is very tight. Besides two cupholders, there are also no amenities back there. Adults will curse you if they get stuck back there for long.
The front row enjoys the most storage options with a deep middle console, a phone/utility tray and glove box. There are also large storage bins in each door and two deep cupholders. The sunglasses holder in the roof is a bonus, too!
The middle row gets a couple of map pockets, drink bottle holders in each door and a couple of cupholders in the fold-down middle seat, which doubles as an armrest. The practical, easy-to-clean trim on the back of the front seats is great, too.
The charging options are good for the first two rows, with each one getting an USB-A and USB-C port, while the front also gets a 12-volt socket.
It is easy enough to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay and the 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive.
I found the digital radio cuts in and out every few seconds, which makes that feature a bit useless. There’s no satellite navigation but with your smart phone attached, it’s easily forgotten.
My six-year old had no trouble getting in and out of the car and really enjoyed the tall seating position. He also liked having directional air vents and a reading light on our little road trip this week.
The boot is 465L and that puts it on the smaller side compared to its rivals, with only the CX-5 being smaller. I like the level load space and retractable cargo blind, but after my big grocery shop the boot was full.
You’d have to get strategic with gear loading on a full-scale road trip.
This has a temporary spare tyre but to access it, you have to remove the third row (after sliding the second row forward) and that would be an pain to access if you had a full car load of gear and child seats.
Being a lower grade this doesn’t have a powered tailgate and I did miss it this week because the boot is heavy to close.
If you’re reading this you’ve decided to find out more or possibly just want to know why I called out the price of the Kluger Grande Hybrid in the introduction.
Here’s why. The Kluger Grande Hybrid lists for $80,230. That’s before on-road costs like rego, stamp duty, compulsory third party insurance and dealer delivery charges.
That’s a lot of money and it’s because this Grande grade sits at the top of the range.
The entry-level Kluger GX Hybrid lists for $58,290. That’s $22K less than the Grande. You could buy an entire car for $22,000 - a Hyundai Venue, a Kia Stonic or a Suzuki Swift.
So, why does the Grande cost so much? I don’t know. The features don’t seem to justify the higher price.
All Klugers come standard with alloy wheels, LED headlights, proximity unlocking and push-button start, three-zone climate control, rear privacy glass plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And all have seven seats.
The GXL adds built-in sat nav and a big 12.3-inch media display, heated and power-adjustable front seats, and an auto tailgate.
The Grande then adds leather seats (heated and ventilated up front), a wireless phone charger, head-up display, panoramic glass roof, kick-function tailgate, sunshades for the rear windows and an 11-speaker JBL sound system.
Really, the GXL Hybrid is the one to get and it lists for $67,810.
Our model is the part-time four-wheel drive ST-L with seven seats and it is $46,290, before on-road costs.
That makes it more expensive compared to its key rivals with the Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring costing $43,700 and Kia Sportage SX+ Petrol DCT AWD at $43,850. Only the Toyota RAV4 Edge tops it with a $53,020 price tag.
However, for a model that sits second from the bottom in its own line-up, it’s well-specified.
There are eight paintwork colours to choose from and none of them cost extra. This grade also enjoys an upmarket interior with two-toned synthetic leather trims, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus those two extra seats.
The driver also enjoys four-way electric lumbar support and electric seat adjustments. The exterior isn’t forgotten with 18-inch alloy wheels, full LED lights, electric folding side mirrors and an auto dimming rear view mirror.
If you're concerned a hybrid system will have trouble pulling a large SUV around, let me tell you, the Kluger is powerful and has no problems doing the work. This hybrid SUV could well have more grunt than any car you've ever driven.
Okay, so the Kluger Grande we tested was a petrol-electric hybrid variant which combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors powered by a battery.
The engine’s output is 142kW and 242Nm while the motors make a combined 184kW. The front two electric motors make 134Nm and 270Nm of torque while the rear motor produces 121Nm.
The continuously variable transmission keeps the motion smooth and sends the drive to all four wheels, so yes, the hybrid is all-wheel drive.
Excluding the ePower hybrid, the X-Trail shares the same 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine across its models. It has max outputs of 135kW and 244Nm, which means it’s not super powerful but it doesn’t really whine at you, either.
I’m not a massive fan of continuously variable transmissions and this one can get a little jerky when you put your foot down. It's smooth otherwise.
The part-time 4WD drivetrain is an interesting feature for this size SUV but I didn’t test its capabilities this week. You can choose between five modes - 'Auto', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Snow' and 'Off-Road' but I kept it in Auto.
There are plenty of large SUVs with big V6 and V8 petrol engines out there with heaps of power but they use three times the amount of fuel the Kluger Grande Hybrid does.
I know this first hand. I’ve just tested a V6 powered seven seater SUV which used 20L/100km month in, month out.
I drove the Kluger Grande Hybrid on exactly the same roads every day, doing the same things like school drop offs, the supermarket run, swimming lessons and the work commute and it used 6.6L/100km. I measured this at the fuel pump.
So, 20L/100km for another V6 seven-seater SUV or 6.6L/100km for the Kluger Grande Hybrid? Which would you prefer?
Toyota’s official consumption figure for the Kluger Hybrid is 5.6L/100km (based on a combination of open and urban roads) but mine was mainly suburban and city driving when more fuel is used.
The Kluger Hybrid has a 65-litre fuel tank which means a range of approximately 1160km is technically possible.
The Kluger Grande Hybrid doesn't need plugging in to charge. The battery recharges on the go through regenerative braking.
So, unless you’re a driving enthusiast who loves high-performance or classic cars I’m not sure why you wouldn't choose the hybrid option when it comes to a large SUV. Or a small one.
The official combined cycle fuel figure is 7.8L/100km and real-world testing saw my average at 8.1L. That’s pretty good for an SUV of this size and it was after a lot of open road and urban driving (think school and grocery runs).
The X-Trail has a 55L fuel tank and based on the official combined figure, you should be able to get around 705km of driving range. Perfectly respectable for the odd road trip or family vacay.
Nissan recommends a minimum of 91 RON petrol and adds that it is E10 suitable.
Smooth, easy, comfortable. Let’s be honest, the Kluger is the SUV version of the Toyota Camry and like that sedan it’s not trying to be a performance vehicle.
Besides, as a dad of small children, smooth, easy and comfortable is all I want these days. I’m still hurting all over after giving piggybacks down a hill all after yesterday. I think I’ve punctured a lung or something. So yeah, smooth, easy, comfortable please and dull sounds good to me right now.
The hybrid powertrain with the continuously variable transmission means motion is smooth with no jerky gear changes and at lower speeds the Kluger glides in silence under the power of just the motors.
If you've never driven an EV before a hybrid like this is the perfect place to start. There's no plugging in to charge yet at low speeds it operates just like an electric car, moving silently and smoothly through the world.
It's serene and makes traffic far less taxing with no gear changes or idling engine.
The steering is light and accurate, while the visibility is good making the Kluger easy to pilot and park.
The suspension is set up for a composed ride and this is helped more by the big, comfy seats.
The Kluger Grande Hybrid isn’t fast in a straight line, but it isn’t sluggish either. The combination of the torque from the electric motors and petrol engine make it feel just as quick off the mark as some V6-powered SUVs I’ve driven lately.
The X-Trail ST-L delivered a solid performance in all the situations I put it in this week.
I was just as happy tackling the open-road as I was in stop-start traffic in the city.
It has enough power to get up to speed quickly and keep you there but you don’t feel like you have heaps left in reserve. The engine can sook a little when you get too aggressive with the accelerator but otherwise works without complaint.
The ride comfort is great! I took my dad on a road trip this week and he was singing its praises as a passenger. As a driver, I like how cushioned the suspension feels but it’s not at all floaty on the road.
The cabin space is very quiet, even at higher speeds. However, I wasn’t super impressed with the sound system and reckon it could be better.
Despite, looking like a big car, it doesn’t park like one. It’s actually stupidly easy to park and that’s a winning feature for me. Especially with the crisp 360-degree view camera, too.
The Kluger was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2021 and all grades through the range come with the same high level of safety tech.
So, like all the other grades the Grande has AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, there’s blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, plus front and rear parking sensors.
The rear view camera’s view is wide and the resolution is excellent - vital for reversing out of driveways.
Child seats can be fitted only in the second row with three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts.
You should also know that airbags don't fully cover the third row occupants in the Kluger.
The X-Trail has been fitted with a good list of safety features, with the following being standard: LED daytime running lights, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view reversing camera, dynamic parking guidelines, front and rear parking sensors, rear occupant alert, intelligent seatbelt monitoring and a driver fatigue monitoring system.
It also features adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist; meaning, so long as you have your hands on the wheel, the car essentially steers itself. It's great to minimise fatigue on longer journeys.
It has AEB and forward collision warning with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 10-80km/h (5.0-130km/h for car detection). It is usual to see it operational from 5.0km/h, though.
The X-Trail was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021 but it is based on its stablemate, the Qashqai. I think it’s worth mentioning that ANCAP’s individual assessment scores were all fairly high (hitting the 90 per cent range for all but one) which is great to see on a family car.
It only has seven airbags but that includes a front centre airbag and curtain airbags covering all three rows.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats in the middle row, along with three top-tethers. You could get lucky in fitting three seats side by side but two will fit best. There's just enough room when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.
The Kluger Grande Hybrid is covered by Toyota’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The hybrid battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.
Servicing is needed annually or every 15,000km and is capped at $265 per service for the first five years.
The X-Trail comes with the market standard five-year/unlimited km warranty term and you can pre-purchase three-, four- or five-year capped-price servicing plans.
On the five-year pre-paid plan, services average $425 annually which is great for this class.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, which could get a little annoying if you put a lot of kays on your car every year.