Toyota Australia is promising quality improvements, a more enjoyable drive and a higher level of standard safety for its new 2014 Kluger SUV.
Due in local showrooms from March, the new Kluger was unveiled as the US-spec Highlander at the New York Auto Show in the same month last year.
Australian buyers can again expect a 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine matched to a six-speed automatic and, while figures are still to come, Toyota says - thankfully - it has improved fuel figures in the new model.
On the safety front, the 2014 Kluger will feature seven airbags, along with a reversing camera, vehicle stability and traction control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and hill-start assist control.
Top-shelf models will add a pre-collision system with dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert and automatic high-beam headlights.
Toyota has fine-tuned the suspension and electronic power steering for 2014, with a new double-wishbone rear suspension setup promising more precise handling and a better driving experience.
The company's local arm has yet to confirm details of the new Kluger's local tune, although like the new Corolla, it is likely that Toyota Australia engineers have had input into the new model's development.
The new rear suspension allows for more cabin space, while the all-new model is also 69mm longer and 15mm wider than its predecessor.
The 2014 Kluger will again be available in front- or all-wheel drive, with the AWD’s Dynamic Torque Control system able to revert to FWD during normal driving conditions to save fuel.
The source of Australia's new Kluger will switch to Toyota's Indiana plant in the United States - making it the first Toyota to come to Australia from the US - moving away from the Japanese plant that builds the current model.
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