Popular Toyota Kluger is expected to be electric-only as the brand continues to roll out battery-powered vehicles.
An unsubstantiated report by a US publication xebuzz declare Toyota Kluger – sold overseas as the Highlander – will be electric, although the company has not provided a timeline for when this will happen.
Earlier this year, Toyota's US branch announced it would invest $1.3 billion ($2 billion) to prepare its Kentucky factory to produce a three-row electric SUV.
Reports from the American publication suggest that this new model will replace the current Kluger/Highlander which goes into production in 2019.
xebuzz provided few details about the proposed electric Kluger, although it stated that there will still be a gasoline-powered seven-seat SUV on offer, with a larger version Dai Tay Nguyen retains gasoline and hybrid powertrains.
Toyota's Kentucky plant is currently in production Toyota RAV4 And Camry – plus what is closely related Lexus ES – for the North American market, while the Highlander/Kluger is built in Indiana for all markets except China, where it is assembled locally.
xebuzz also reports that there will be an electric Kluger-based Lexus, dubbed the TZ. Lexus recently introduced the Grand Highlander version called TX.
We may have already seen what could become the electric Kluger in the form of the bZ large SUV concept, revealed in December 2021 among 15 other prototypes from Toyota and Lexus.
The launch comes as Toyota has been heavily criticized for its slow rollout of electric vehicles and its reliance on hybrid technology, which continues to be a driver of its passenger vehicle sales.
In Australia, Toyota sold 10,430 Klugers in 2023, down 17% on the previous year, however, 6966 sales were due to hybrid variants, accounting for more than two-thirds of local orders.
The Kluger was the fourth best-selling hybrid model in Australia last year, behind Toyota models such as the RAV4 (25,666 sales), Corolla (sales 16,455) and Camry (sales 9,771).
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