2023 Toyota Kluger swaps V6 for turbo power in the US, Australia unclear & More News Here

The 2023 Toyota Kluger V6 petrol has been axed in the US in favour of a new turbocharged four-cylinder – but it surely’s much less highly effective, and no extra gas environment friendly than the larger engine it replaces.

The engine change varieties a part of a 2023 mannequin replace for the US-market Kluger – the place it’s bought as a Highlander – which brings updates to the Toyota household SUV’s infotainment expertise and trim choices.

Toyota Australia is but to substantiate launch timing for the up to date mannequin, which is predicted to see the present Kluger out till it’s changed in abroad showrooms by the subsequent mannequin in 2026.

Debuted in the newest Lexus NX luxurious SUV, the Kluger’s new 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine develops 198kW and 419Nm – down 20kW, however up 69Nm over the departing 3.5-litre petrol V6 in its Australian-market tune.

Despite two fewer cylinders and 1.1 litres much less capability, the new turbo engine is no extra environment friendly than the V6 it replaces, with an similar claimed mixed gas consumption determine of 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres in keeping with US EPA testing.

Toyota does declare a 50 per cent discount in NOx (nitrous oxide) emissions, in addition to “an improvement in CO2 emissions”.

Automatic cease/begin tech is customary, like the previous V6, together with a alternative of entrance or all-wheel drive (AWD) – with higher-grade petrol fashions gaining a extra superior AWD system with torque vectoring and the means to manage the power cut up between left and proper rear wheels.

The hybrid choice – which accounts for greater than half of Kluger gross sales in Australia – carries over for 2023, pairing a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with three electrical motors (two up entrance, one at the rear) to develop 181kW mixed in US fashions, or 184kW in Australia.

Alongside the new engine, the US-market Highlander/Kluger positive aspects Toyota’s newest infotainment system now rolling out throughout its vary, with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates, and varied related providers.

As earlier than, US patrons can have the system with an 8.0-inch or 12.3-inch centre display screen – however solely the former has ever been supplied in Australia, as the 12.3-inch show has not been developed for right-hand-drive Kluger fashions.

In entrance of the driver is a brand new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on flagship fashions – as certain for the smaller RAV4 SUV later this 12 months – with the 7.0-inch display screen beforehand used now supplied in the base fashions, to switch the previous 4.2-inch driver show.

Other inside upgrades embrace the repositioning of the wi-fi smartphone charger from the centre console field to a shelf beneath the infotainment display screen. One USB-A port and 4 USB-C ports are on provide.

There’s additionally a brand new Cypress inexperienced exterior color, and black accents for the tan inside combos – plus new 20-inch black wheels for the US-market XSE variant.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander (Kluger) is more likely to go on sale in the US someday in the subsequent 9 to 12 months.

Australian launch timing is but to be confirmed – Drive has contacted Toyota Australia for remark.

It stays to be seen when manufacturing of the right-hand-drive mannequin begins, given the delay of round 18 months between the pre-update Highlander’s US launch in 2019, and the native Kluger’s Australian arrival in June 2021.