2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid - Win a Navman Dashcam

2021 Toyota Kluger GX Hybrid Review

Toyota used to cop a lot of stick about their dreary design, sub-par performance, and poverty-stricken interiors, but I have to say the 2021 Kluger is an all-round decent chap.

OK, the looks won’t set the world on fire. You won’t wake up in the morning with a tingle deep in your nethers, thinking, “OMG I MUST have a Kluger and I simply must have it now, or I shall throw myself off the gap.” Having said that, nor is it boring.

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ABOVE: 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid (and V6)

First, a few thoughts on the metalwork.

Off-roading Side steps on our GX gave the SUV a certain verisimilitude. You won’t be going further than a gravel drive, but it makes you feel like you could, if you dared. GXL and Grande get nicer stuff inside and out, but our GX has wheels that look like 20c pieces being chucked down a hallway. They need to be 19” at least, to have any hope of simulating a slightly hairy chested driver.

The 4-door, 2-box SUV is sans the now-ubiquitous slash-n-cut design ethos permeating other Toyota models. Instead, there are restrained and considered character lines that play with the light as the big SUV moves through space. The resulting shading can look quite mean, especially in darker colours.

Remember, Kluger is designed for the American market, so the look has to appeal there if is going to be a sales success.

LED headlights are fully automatic, as are the wipers. I’d have liked the headlights to look just a little more cutting edge, in the style of KIA Sorento.

The big tailgate is manual, and gives access to a cargo hold that is fairly small with all 7 seats up. You’ll spend most of your time with the 3rd row stowed, and I rather fancy most of you will keep them that way.

All Klugers have smart entry and start, so they key can stay secreted about your person.

The looks are meant to be on the conservative side, we mustn’t scare the punters, must we? And as I point out in the video, the design is a little like the previous generation Rav4. Nonetheless, it looks and feels of good quality.

The Cabin:

Toyota are at pains to stress the materials and design have improved, and so they have. It is almost posh.

The seats are very comfortable in the 1^st and 2^nd rows, with good support nd ample adjustment. And there is a 3^rd row, for kids, and the less said about them the better. Rear seat passengers have an absolute ballroom to lounge about in. Stretch out and enjoy yourself, the longer the trip the better. There is 3 zone of climate control, so you can dialup a cosy evening to watch the world slide gracefully by..

Up front there are another couple of zones, but for this price don’t expect seat heating/cooling. Plastic is excellent quality, and non-reflective, and the dash and doors are covered with soft touch material. The dash is deeply contoured with nifty cubby trays within its organic folds.

The cabin feels spacious and dignified, but the seat covering is woven synthetic. It may well be a modern trend, but is one that has always reminded me of the seventies, and not in a good way. For some reason, I can’t help but feel like I’m sweating the moment I sit down. As a side note, much of the leather you find in modern cars, is also fact man made.

Switches are all in good order, and you don’t faff about like you’re on a treasure hunt, to fin them. The steering wheel is also beautifully laid out. I like this new Toyota setup very much. It all makes sense, with the active-cruise controls on the right, and audio on the left. The Driver’s multi-function display is also fettled from the wheel. I’d have liked a full digital dash, but then I’d like to be 20kg lighter too you can’t always get what you want.

Down on the centre console are drive modes, including one rather hopefully named, “Trail”. I suspect the nearest you’ll ever get to a trail is pressing that button. Toyota Hybrids have an EV mode, which gives a deliciously smooth and quiet low-speed experience. You can glide through underground carparks like a like the ghost of the Marie Celeste, sans fog. At high speed, the system charges the battery, as well as when braking or cruising. Not a skerrick of energy is wasted. There are several USB ports, as well as a 12v outlet where I plugged my NAVMAN SENSOR XL Dashcam in. I replaced the dashcam in this review, and is the answer to our competition to WIN A fREE NAVMAN DASHCAM.

There is a ok-size centre bin, a bevy of bevy holders, and no less than 5 USB ports, with one connecting to CarPlay/Android auto. The infotainment system has an 8” screen with a row of fixed buttons either side. I’d prefer flush-mounted buttons, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. The advantage of physical buttons is you can quickly find what you want, and I like that. I’d like a couple of extra pixels though. The resolution can seem a bit low-rent, especially when you spark up the reversing camera.

The ambiance is rather Zen, and I’d be happy to spend a long time in Kluger.

CLICK HERE FOR A BROCHURE:Kluger_Online_Brochure_July2021

On the Road:

Hybrids are brilliant around town, where most cars in the world spend much of their time. Toyota has had this system for a gazillion years, but the difference is, they stuck with it when while other fell of their perches. If you don’t count the fuel-cell model, there are no Toyota EV’s just now, so the white coated nerds have literally stayed awake eking every single kilojoule out of the hybrid’s tank of the juice. You don’t plug them in because the batteries are monitored constantly, and they’re able to capture and store energy you’d normally waste cruising downhills or braking.

Suspension is MacPherson Struts up front, and multilinks around the back. The ride is tuned to suit those wanting a plusher drive, but there is much fanciness to smooth out corners and sort out that body roll. Kluger isn’t a sport car, but it still gets down the road well. You just need to respect corners, and the 2045kg of bulk that you’re chucking around like a rag doll.

A hybrid is the one of the rare occasions where the hateful CVT automatic is acceptable. It doesn’t have gears, so gluing your loafer to the carpet makes the engine scream like a drunk drag queen. The longer I drove Kluger, the more relaxed I got. To my surprise, my ride in the 2^nd row seat made me feel like a queen. It was very regal, with the space and smoothness of a limo.

The driver has a boatload of safety gear, and there are all manner of other too. There is smart AEB, and the collision avoidance has steering assist. The lane centering only comes on when you press the button, and you have to do that each time you start her up. Smart Cruise keeps you a distance from the car in front and if they slow down, you do too.

When the Cruise radar spots a car in front, it brings up a warning where your digital speedo was. All Toyotas do it, and it is irritating beyond belief. There is no way to turn that off, so if you want your speed in digits, you can’t use your cruise. I guess you’ll learn to live with it as some stage.

Like most new cars, Kluger has a mountain of computing power that looks after you, and if you let it do its job, you’ll have a relaxed trip and safe trip. It doesn’t replace careful driving, so don’t get it into your head that you can nod off without running into a ditch.

The sound system was good, and like the rest of the car, is a huge improvement over the old model. I added a bit of bass, because I’m a yobbo.

COVID means our drives are severely limited, but we still managed corners and bends, stretches of freeway, and tight city lanes. You’re aware of the size of Kluger, especially in tight spots. There is a reversing camera, with sensors all round, so parking is easy. But she isn’t exactly a spritely lass, so take your time in traffic.

The AWD gives quite a lot of grip, but sports mode will give the front wheels a pleasing chirp at the lights.

We had a competition to see how much time we could spend in pure-EV mode without forcing it with the EV button. I’d go so far as to say our drives were fun. You sit high up, and the hybrid is stupidly economical. Unlike the Prius, Kluger hybrid would be fabulous on a road trip. Highway driving is nothing short of serene.

At all speeds, there cabin was quiet and calm, and even in the heaviest traffic, you feel relaxed.

Conclusion:

We liked it a lot. Kluger is good quality inside and out. GX is the base model, and apart from the seat coverings, everything looked and felt like the “luxury” fairy had waved her wand over it.

You have to keep reminding yourself you’re not driving a limo, such is the smooth ride.

Price: $54,150 (GX Hybrid)

Engine: 2.5L Hybrid

Power; 142kw/242Nm

Econ: 5.6L/100k

Trans: CVT

Fuel: 95Ron Petrol

Driveline: AWD

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