Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

152 |AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

T

he Toyota Kluger dominates
its seven-seater SUV
segment with a combination
of pricing, packaging,
performance, ease of operation
and long-term peace of mind.
It isn’t diffi cult to imagine the
Series II version continuing to
do so. It’s more of the same.
Priced from $44,850, the
entry GX, which accounts for the
lion’s share of sales, includes
seven airbags, stability and
traction control with hill-start
assist, autonomous emergency
braking, lane departure
alert, adaptive cruise control,
automatic high beam, a reverse
camera, rear parking sensors,
a central touchscreen featuring
Bluetooth-activated connected
mobility known as Toyota Link,
phone and audio streaming,
front fog lights, privacy glass,
and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Stepping up to the $54,950 GXL
nets you blind spot monitoring,
rear cross traffi c alert, a
larger central screen, satellite
navigation, digital radio, a powered
tailgate with separate fl ip-up
glass, three-zone climate control,

keyless entry and start, a powered

driver’s seat, heated front seats,

leather upholstery, and roof rails.

The $65,519 Grande,

meanwhile, earns its fl agship

status with a bird’s-eye-view

monitor to help manoeuvrability,

front parking sensors, auto high

beam (that senses traffi c ahead

before dipping down so as not

to dazzle other drivers), sunroof,

ventilated front seats, driver’s seat

memory settings, heated exterior

mirrors with puddle lights,

second-row window blinds, a rear

entertainment screen, Blu-ray

player and 19-inch alloys.

Few other SUVs offer an interior

as functional as the Kluger’s,

and not just because of its sheer

spaciousness, excellent driving

position, clear instrument dials,

logical switchgear, superb

ventilation, and seemingly endless

storage compartments.

All seats are easy to access,

vision out is largely unimpeded,

rear-most occupants have

ceiling-mounted ventilation,

and the dash has a shelf for

electronics to sit securely on

while being charged. Thoughtful.

Another strength is the

creamy, quiet powertrain, adding

to the cabin’s refi nement.

Behind that brutish bonnet

is a 218kW/350Nm 3.5-litre

direct-injection V6, sending

power to either the front, or all

four, wheels via an eight-speed

automatic transmission.

The all-wheel drivetrain adds

$4000 to GX and GXL, while in

Grande it’s an extra $3727.

Responsive yet pleasingly

civilised, the Toyota steps off

the line fairly smartly for a two-

tonne-plus SUV, providing more

than ample performance across

most driving situations.

It also boasts a satisfyingly

muscular exhaust note doing so.

Yet, despite its signifi cant

girth and heft, the Kluger feels

comparatively light and agile for

its size, zipping in and around

tight spaces with remarkable

deftness and control.

Toyota says it spent two

years tuning the handling and

ride for Australian conditions,

and it shows.

However, keener drivers

might desire a bit more steering

feedback, while everybody else

might notice the suspension’s

propensity to feel a bit busy

and unsettled over all but the

smoothest surfaces. More

compliance would be welcome.

Still, being based on Toyota’s

North American-market Avalon

sedan, the Kluger is car-like in

its overall characteristics.

Perhaps this model’s biggest

disappointment is the fact that

Toyota Australia chose not to take

the consumption and emissions-

reducing stop/start system offered

elsewhere, so the V6 petrol

engine’s fuel effi ciency isn’t a good

as it could be.

That said, it is easy to see

why the Kluger has been such a

family favourite over the years.

It’s spacious, comfortable, safe,

well-made and bulletproof.

When you add the powerful V6

and low running costs, its appeal

only gets stronger.

By Byron Mathioudakis

TOYOTA KLUGER FROM $44,850 S

Safety

ANCAP

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

THINGS WE LIKE

 Spacious, versatile interior

 Easy seat access

 Sweet, punchy V6 performance

 Toyota’s renowned reliability

 Refi ned and comfortable

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

V6 petrol engine’s comparative thirst

Jittery ride

Foot-operated park brake

Short warranty

SPEX (GX Front-wheel drive)

Made in the USA

3.5-litre V6 petrol/eight-speed

automatic/front-wheel drive

218kW of power at 6600rpm/350Nm

of torque at 4700rpm

0–100km in 8.1 seconds (claimed)

7.2L/100km highway; 12.4L/100km

city; 95 octane; CO 2 emissions are

212g/km

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

The fuel tank holds 72 litres.

Maximum towing capacity is 2000kg

Seven airbags, stability control,

autonomous emergency braking,

adpative cruise control, Hill Start

Assist, camera, rear parking

sensors, touchscreen, Bluetooth,

Toyota Link, LED daytime running

lights, tinted glass, 18-inch alloys

and a full-sized spare wheel

Redbook future values: 3yr: 54%;

5yr: 39%

compare with ...

Ford Everest, Hyundai Santa Fe,

Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9, Nissan

Pathfi nder, Skoda Kodiaq