Locally made Toyota Grand Highlander to debut this week

Ryan Reynolds, Evansville Courier & Press
·2 min read
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A promotional image released by Toyota shows the interior of the company's new Grand Highlander, set to be unveiled Feb. 8 at the Chicago Auto Show. It will go on sale later in 2023.
A promotional image released by Toyota shows the interior of the company's new Grand Highlander, set to be unveiled Feb. 8 at the Chicago Auto Show. It will go on sale later in 2023.

The newest product to roll off the assembly line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Gibson County will be unveiled to the world this week.

Toyota's Grand Highlander will make its debut at the famed Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday. The SUV is a three-row upgrade of Toyota's popular Highlander model, which it has produced since 2001.

The Grand Highlander joins the set of other Toyota vehicles made by the more than 7,000 workers at the Princeton facility, which also produces the Highlander, Highlander Hybrid and Sienna. The plant assembles more than 400,000 vehicles annually.

TMMI originally announced that it would make the new SUV, and a Lexus version, in April 2021. The additions signified an $803 million investment in the 27-year-old plant, tacking on 1,400 new jobs.

“We’re honored to be the exclusive manufacturer of the all-new Grand Highlander,” said Leah Curry, Toyota Indiana president. “This is an exciting time for Toyota Indiana and our employees and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to prepare for the launch of the Grand Highlander.”

What will the Toyota Grand Highlander look like?

So far, the only photos of the full exterior of the vehicle that are posted on the Internet are ones where the body of the Grand Highlander is fully camoflauged.

The company in December released a promotional image where you can see a bit of the rear nameplate of the Grand Highlander, but not much else.

A promotional image of the Grand Highlander, released by Toyota.
A promotional image of the Grand Highlander, released by Toyota.

How much will the Toyota Grand Highlander cost?

An MSRP has not been released, but in a Feb. 1 article published by Gear Patrol, the sites notes that " The Highlander Hybrid starts at $39,555 MSRP. The Sequoia starts at $58,300 MSRP. We'd bet the Grand Highlander starts somewhere between them."

When will the Toyota Grand Highlander go on sale?

There's been no announced "on-sale" date for the Grand Highlander, just references to "later in 2023." Traditionally, the "model year" for vehicles begins in the fall. So a 2024 car would be available in fall 2023.

So what's the difference between the Grand Highlander and the original Highlander?

According to Motortrend.com, the answer is simple: Space. The Grand Highlander "will offer more third-row space and cargo space overall than the standard Highlander does," Motor Trend reported. "And unlike the Sequoia, the Grand Highlander's on-road focus should help it make the most of that cabin. Expect the Grand Highlander's interior to be comfort-oriented, and possibly more upscale than the traditional Highlander."

This article was corrected on Feb. 6 at 10:11 a.m.to reflect that TMMI no longer produces the Sequoia. Production for that vehicle moved to San Antonio, Texas.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: The Toyota Grand Highlander will be unveiled at Chicago Auto Show