Toyota Grand Highlander rumored to stretch the SUV to new lengths
According to a new forecast report, Toyota wants to build an even bigger Highlander.
The world needs a larger Toyota Highlander, the Japanese automaker reportedly believes. According to a new forecast report from Automotive News published over the weekend, Toyota plans for a Grand Highlander that will be longer and larger than the Highlander we know today.
Toyota declined to comment, but it's hardly surprising. Automakers don't like to comment on future product. Nevertheless, in today's SUV-hungry car market, another Highlander derivative isn't too hard to imagine. AN reports this Grand Highlander will focus on giving third-row passengers even more room than the standard SUV. The Highlander is already a hulking machine, but like I said, buyers can't get enough of their big vehicles these days.
The report isn't the only sliver of evidence Toyota's working on a larger Highlander, though. In fact, the automaker filed a trademark application for the name "Grand Highlander" this past December. Perhaps this vehicle could help fill the gap left by the Land Cruiser now that we won't be getting the next-generation model. It'd be nowhere near as cool, but it'd probably sell quite a few more units than the pricey, body-on-frame Land Cruiser.
Should a Grand Highlander come to life, it'll share powertrains with the standard Highlander SUV. A hybrid would likely be on the menu, as would a traditional gasoline-powered engine.
