10 Cool Details on Toyota's New 2024 Grand Highlander Three-Row SUV

We've already written ad nauseam about how the new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander is bigger and roomier than the regular Highlander, and also how the XL version alone is available with a 362-hp Hybrid Max powertrain. If you want to find out how the Grand compares to its smaller counterpart, we've covered that too. However, if you're interested in some cool and lesser-known details about the Grand Highlander, we've gathered 10 and listed them below.

More on the Grand Highlander

While the regular Toyota Highlander is now in its fourth generation, the larger version of this mid-size three-row SUV represents the first time the automaker has offered a Grand Highlander. We were also told on the sly that a future off-road-themed trim isn't out of the question. Have you heard about the RAV4 Woodland Edition?

By now, you probably already know the Grand Highlander shares a version of Toyota's Hybrid Max powertrain with the lifted Crown sedan. But did you know the SUV is only the second model to feature the company's "Beyond Zero" badge? The other is the new Prius.

Okay, so the small badge on the Grand Highlander's rear liftgate that says "Hybrid Max" is one way to spot the 362-hp model. However, if you're nearsighted or simply too far away, look for a set of dual exhausts. That's a dead giveaway.

There's only one way to get a Grand Highlander with leather upholstery and faux-suede seat inserts with bronze accents like the combination seen here. How's that you ask? You need to splurge on the priciest Platinum trim, which means it also has to be equipped with the Hybrid Max powertrain.

Fully digital gauges are all the rage these days. While the base-level Grand Highlander XLE has analog gauges along with a 7.0-inch display, the Limited and Platinum trims both have a huge 12.3-inch digital cluster shown here. As expected, it's configurable.

Thankfully, Toyota hasn't lost its way like some other automakers have and offers the Grand Highlander with lots of physical knobs and buttons. Just look at the glorious volume knob on the standard 12.3-inch touchscreen as well as the even bigger knobs for the climate control system.

The Grand Highlander isn't intended to play in the same luxury space that Lexus does, but the Platinum model we saw first-hand definitely featured an upscale interior. Along with attractive trim pieces and flashy finishes, many of the surfaces are soft to the touch and the plastics that are present have a consistently smooth grain. If it's not Lexus-like, it's at least Lexus-adjacent.

The Grand Highlander shares many features with its smaller counterpart. However, there is one thing only the Grand gets, and that's heated and ventilated second-row captain's chairs. Yup, you can warm your buns in the regular Highlander's second row, but you can't cool them. That luxury is reserved for the top-of-the-line Grand Highlander Platinum.

Most new vehicles have a center console, most of which feature a cover that lifts open. Not the Grand Highlander. It has a slide-open top (similar to the regular Highlander) that lets passengers on either side access the bin without disrupting its armrest properties.

People relegated to the Grand Highlander's third row will be impressed by how much bigger it feels than in the regular Highlander. What outboard passengers will also appreciate is the individual USB-C outlets and side bins with room for at least two cups and a smartphone.