It might seem strange that the Land Cruiser isn’t offered in the United States. Considering our affinity for large, three-row SUVs, you would think the biggest Toyota SUV would be a hit. Not to worry, a new, bigger, and bolder vehicle is on the way. The new 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander takes a well-respected name to new SUV heights.

The Toyota Grand Highlander name isn’t official yet

We know that Toyota is working on a larger three-row crossover SUV than the Highlander, but we don’t have an official name. Even so, Gear Patrol tells us the Toyota team isn’t overthinking this one. They filed a trademark application in the United States and Canada for the Grand Highlander name, which will likely be used.

Will this new Toyota SUV be a crossover?

Yes, it will be. Toyota already has a pair of body-on-frame SUVs with the Sequoia and the 4Runner. The Grand Highlander should use a unibody construction, similar to the smaller Highlander model, giving us a new vehicle with more room for comfort on any road.

When will the 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander arrive?

While this sounds like an odd question with the model year attached to the name, this new SUV won’t arrive in the fall. It’s more likely the Grand Highlander will arrive by the middle of the 2023 calendar year. This new Toyota SUV will be produced alongside the new Lexus TX at that Toyota factory in Indiana. The late release date could push the model back to the 2024 model year.

What powertrain will the Grand Highlander use?

We don’t have the details for the powertrain yet, so all we can do is speculate. The latest new models offered, Sienna and Venza, both came as hybrid-only models. It’s possible this could be the case for the Grand Highlander as well. It’s not likely to be an all-electric SUV, but you can expect to see either a regular hybrid or a PHEV version of this SUV when it arrives.

The latest Toyota Tech arrives with this SUV

Many automakers offer some form of semi-autonomous driving, and that should be the case for the new Toyota Grand Highlander as well. There may be a self-parking feature and a digital key offering the use of a smartphone as a key.

How many passengers fit in the Toyota Grand Highlander SUV?

The new Toyota SUV will seat up to eight passengers across three rows to be the largest unibody SUV in the market. This configuration could be perfect for your family when you want to enjoy a smooth drive but hate the idea of driving a minivan.

The Toyota investment to build this SUV

Toyota has mostly kept quiet about the two new SUVs coming to the lineup. Even so the assembly facility in Princeton, IN, is undergoing a major overhaul. The price of this upgrade is $803 million, giving this new facility an amazing upgrade to producing the Lexus TX and Toyota Grand Highlander SUVs.

In answer to the headlined question, once the 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander arrives, bigger is certainly better.

Next, check out the new 2023 GMC Canyon, or watch the comparison between the Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX in the video below:

This article was updated on 8/18/2022.