2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Expert Review
Reviewed by Alex Leanse
Building on the acclaim of the well-known Highlander Hybrid, Toyota introduced the Grand Highlander Hybrid for 2024. Compared to the standard Highlander, the Grand Highlander has a larger body with a more spacious third row and increased cargo capacity. Its rivals among hybrid family SUVs include the Mazda CX-90, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Volvo XC90.
What’s New
- LE trim introduced as entry-level model
- Nightshade Edition with blacked-out styling cues offered
- All models with seven seats gain a removable second-row center console
- Coastal Cream paint no longer available, other exterior colors added and rearranged depending on vehicle configuration
What We Think
Tons of space, good fuel economy, useful driver assist tech, and many standard features—why not get a 2025 Grand Highlander Hybrid? Well, despite all its sensible appeals, this three-row hybrid SUV doesn’t offer much to get excited about.
As a family SUV, the Grand Highlander Hybrid functions admirably. All three rows of seats have useful space, and there’s plenty of places to store things and charge devices around the cabin. Appreciable standard features include the big infotainment touchscreen and well-executed driver assist systems. Toyota's focus on three-row functionality is clear.
What Toyota didn’t seem to do much of was try to make the Grand Highlander Hybrid cool or fun. The styling is highly anodyne, more or less just a boxy SUV distinguished by a few Toyota badges. Indeed, its electrified powertrain gives the Grand Highlander Hybrid quicker acceleration than the standard model, but overall the driving experience is forgettable. At least it’s quiet and comfortable; a somewhat stiff brake pedal is our main complaint about how the Grand Highlander Hybrid drives.
Some three-row SUVs have more personality in how they look or how they drive, even if that can somewhat compromise how well they function. The Grand Highlander Hybrid is uncompromised by such fripperies, and works great accordingly.
Grand Highlander Hybrid vs. Hybrid Max
There are two different hybrid powertrains available in the Grand Highlander. The standard system combines a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder with electric motors for total output of 245 hp. That’s sent through a CVT automatic to standard FWD or available AWD. In MotorTrend testing the Grand Highlander Hybrid accelerated from 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds. Expect fuel economy similar to last year’s numbers of 36-37/32-34 mpg city/highway depending on configuration.
The available Hybrid Max powertrain gives the Grand Highlander more power but less fuel efficiency than the regular hybrid model. Hybrid Max is centered around the turbocharged 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder from the standard Grand Highlander, then adds more powerful electric motors for a combined output of 362 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. This system is joined to a six-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD. MotorTrend’s test team measured a 5.9-second 0-60 acceleration time from the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max. Fuel economy comes in at approximately 26/27 mpg.
Safety Features
All Grand Highlander models include the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver assist and active safety features. Automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and road sign recognition are among these features. On the Limited and Platinum trim levels (which are the only trims available with Hybrid Max), parking sensors with automatic braking and a 360-degree camera are added.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
A boxy exterior grants the Grand Highlander plenty of interior capacity. The Toyota’s cargo capacity stands out for its advantages over segment rivals.
Technology
Every 2025 Grand Highlander is equipped with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Built-in navigation is also included, but only for a one-year trial before it becomes a paid subscription. Aside from the base LE trim, a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster display is added, while higher-end models get a 12.3-inch all-digital cluster display. A wireless charging pad in the front row and USB-C ports in all three rows are standard. An 11-speaker JBL audio system, head-up display, and digital rearview mirror are among available technology upgrades.
Grand Highlander Hybrid LE vs. XLE vs. Limited vs. Platinum: What’s the Difference?
For 2025, Toyota offers a new entry-level version of the Grand Highlander Hybrid. This LE trim has some basic finishings like 18-inch wheels, cloth seat upholstery, and plain urethane steering wheel. But the Grand Highlander Hybrid LE still has plenty of goodies including a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless charging pad, power-adjustable front seats, and the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0+ driver assist suite. It also comes standard with AWD. The 2025 Grand Highlander Hybrid LE starts at about $46,000.
The next step up is the Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE. It gets leatherette seat upholstery, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power-operated tailgate. FWD is standard, and AWD is optional. Pricing for the 2025 Grand Highlander XLE begins at about $47,000.
Choosing the 2025 Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited adds 20-inch wheels, driver’s seat memory settings, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats interior ambient lighting, metal door sill plates, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display, among other features. This model has standard AWD and starts at just over $53,000.
A high-end Platinum trim is available with the Hybrid Max powertrain. In addition to distinctive bronze interior trim and two-tone wheels, it gets a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, leather and faux suede seat upholstery, steering wheel paddle shifters, ventilated second-row seats, and LED cargo area lighting. This range-topping Grand Highlander goes for approximately $60,000.
New Grand Highlander Hybrid Nightshade Edition
Design isn’t exactly one of the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s strong suits, but the new Nightshade Edition makes it a little more stylish for 2025. Based on the Limited trim, the Nightshade Edition gains stealthy dark details like black 20-inch wheels, hood trim, door handles, side mirror caps, rear spoiler, roof rails, and badging. All Grand Highlander Hybrid Nightshade Edition models have black leather interior upholstery whether the exterior is painted in Cement gray, Wind Chill Pearl white, or Midnight Black. It costs approximately $54,000, or $900 more than an equivalent Limited trim.
