Toyota Grand Highlander Expert Review

Big enough to make a parking space look optimistic

The Grand Highlander Hybrid is not subtle.

At around 5.1 metres long and nearly two metres wide, it is a serious piece of metal. Toyota has nevertheless managed to avoid making it look like a refrigerator with headlights. The long body, broad stance and relatively clean surfacing give it a mature, expensive appearance.

The front end is imposing without being cartoonishly aggressive. Slim LED lighting, a large grille and a tall bonnet give the Grand Highlander the sort of road presence Bangladeshi SUV buyers generally appreciate.

From the side, the long wheelbase tells you exactly what this vehicle was designed to do: carry people. There is considerable glass area around the passenger compartment, and the rear section is stretched enough to provide genuine third-row space rather than the usual automotive punishment chamber.

Hybrid grades receive their own wheel and trim combinations depending on grade. The Hybrid LE uses 18-inch wheels, while higher grades move to larger 20-inch designs. The Limited also receives additional exterior detailing and LED fog lights.

For Bangladesh, the approximately 203mm ground clearance is welcome. It gives the vehicle enough breathing room over speed breakers, broken roads and imperfect entrances.

The problem is not clearance.

The problem is size.

Driving through central Dhaka in a Grand Highlander is perfectly possible, but squeezing it into an old parking garage can feel like trying to park a small apartment.

The third row is finally treated like a human habitat

The Grand Highlander Hybrid's interior is where the enormous exterior dimensions start making sense.

Toyota did not simply stretch a smaller SUV and then shove another row of seats into the back. The Grand Highlander was designed specifically to provide meaningful third-row space, and that shows.

The first two rows offer generous headroom, shoulder room and legroom. More importantly, the third row is usable for adults rather than being reserved exclusively for children and unusually flexible grandparents.

Depending on configuration, the vehicle seats seven or eight. An eight-seat layout uses a second-row bench, while seven-seat versions generally use captain's chairs. That choice matters for Bangladesh families because the bench configuration is useful when maximum passenger capacity matters, while captain's chairs make access and comfort more pleasant.

The dashboard is modern and straightforward. A large 12.3-inch touchscreen dominates the centre, while the higher grades gain a larger digital instrument display.

Three-zone automatic climate control is particularly valuable in Bangladesh. With three rows full of passengers and the Dhaka sun doing its usual impression of a blowtorch, separate climate zones stop the front passenger from freezing while the third row cooks.

Storage is plentiful, charging points are everywhere and the cargo area remains useful even with all three rows occupied.

This is not a sports-car interior.

It is better.

The technology is mostly useful rather than decorative

The Grand Highlander Hybrid gets the modern Toyota technology package without turning the dashboard into an aircraft cockpit.

The 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia screen provides wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity cover the everyday essentials. Higher grades add wireless smartphone charging, JBL's 11-speaker audio system, a digital rearview mirror, panoramic-view camera and other premium features.

Three-zone automatic climate control is standard on the Hybrid LE, which is particularly useful in Bangladesh. The second and third rows receive proper ventilation, making long journeys significantly more comfortable.

Toyota also includes Drive Mode Select with Eco, Normal and Sport modes, along with EV mode for suitable low-speed conditions. The hybrid system automatically manages the engine and electric motors, so the driver does not need to think about battery management.

That is the point of this hybrid.

You do not drive it like an electric car.

You simply drive it.

The car decides when electricity is useful, when the petrol engine should start and when regenerative braking can recover energy.

Connected services, remote functions and OTA updates are available depending on model year and subscription. However, Bangladesh buyers should be cautious about assuming every US-market connected function will operate locally.

The genuinely impressive feature remains the hybrid system itself.

It quietly saves fuel while carrying seven or eight people.

A giant family SUV needs a giant safety checklist

The Grand Highlander Hybrid comes with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, and this is one of the strongest reasons to consider the vehicle.

The system includes Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Lane Tracing Assist, Automatic High Beams and Road Sign Assist. Toyota also includes an Emergency Driving Stop System in the current system that can bring the vehicle to a controlled stop if the driver becomes unresponsive.

Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are also available as part of the safety package, while higher grades can add Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking.

The physical safety equipment is equally important. There are multiple airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, tyre-pressure monitoring, ISOFIX child-seat mounting points and three-point belts across the passenger compartment.

The hybrid system itself adds regenerative braking, blending electrical energy recovery with conventional braking.

In Bangladesh, the biggest safety advantage may actually be visibility. The elevated seating position gives the driver a commanding view over traffic, while cameras and sensors help compensate for the vehicle's enormous footprint.

Because make no mistake: this thing is enormous.

Safety technology helps, but it does not make the Grand Highlander magically shrink when you encounter a CNG auto-rickshaw attempting to occupy the same gap.

Smooth, efficient and surprisingly quick enough

The Grand Highlander Hybrid is not the car you buy because you want to race someone from the next traffic light.

You buy it because you want to cross half of Bangladesh with seven people, luggage and enough air conditioning to freeze the third row.

The 2.5L Atkinson-cycle engine works with electric motors to produce 245 hp combined. The system uses an eCVT, meaning there are no traditional fixed gears constantly changing up and down. Instead, the powertrain continuously selects the most efficient operating point.

The result is wonderfully smooth around town.

Independent testing has recorded roughly 7.8 seconds to 60 mph, which is respectable for a large three-row hybrid. Toyota's own hybrid system also gives the vehicle strong low-speed response because the electric motors provide immediate torque.

In Dhaka traffic, this is where the Grand Highlander Hybrid makes the most sense. Stop-start driving allows the hybrid system to recover energy during braking and use electric propulsion where conditions permit.

On highways, it settles into a quiet, relaxed rhythm. The suspension prioritises comfort, and the long wheelbase makes the vehicle feel stable at speed.

There is one caveat: the brakes can feel slightly unusual at first because regenerative braking and conventional friction braking are blended together. Independent testers have also noted a somewhat firm brake-pedal feel.

Overall, it is not exciting.

It is effortless.