Highlights
- The 2025 Toyota Kluger offers advanced hybrid technology for enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
- Equipped with cutting-edge safety features, it ensures the highest convenience for families on the road.
Summary and Background
The 2025 Toyota Kluger is a midsize seven-seat SUV featuring advanced hybrid technology, refined design, and enhanced safety. It offers a modern exterior, spacious interior with premium materials, and versatile seating. The model lineup is now exclusively hybrid all-wheel drive, emphasizing fuel efficiency and lower emissions. The hybrid system pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with electric motors, achieving around 5.6 L/100 km fuel economy, alongside a new 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine replacing the previous V6. Safety is enhanced by Toyota Safety Sense, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and semi-autonomous driving. Connectivity features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation and smartphone integration. Despite these upgrades, the Kluger faces strong competition in Australia from body-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, and some technical issues have been addressed via recalls and updates.
Technology and Powertrain
The Kluger’s Toyota Safety Sense suite offers adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring, supporting semi-autonomous highway driving. Its 12.3-inch multimedia screen includes built-in navigation and parking sensors, with a surround-view camera in the top Grande variant.
The powertrain is now exclusively hybrid all-wheel drive, combining a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors and a CVT, similar to the RAV4 AWD system. It delivers strong fuel efficiency and competitive performance. The electric-only ‘EV mode’ has limited usability due to operational constraints. The new 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine produces 198 kW and 420 Nm, offering more torque than the previous V6, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission for smooth performance.
Design, Engineering, and Connectivity
The Kluger features a refreshed exterior with LED lighting and a large glasshouse for improved visibility. The cabin seats seven with sliding and folding second-row seats and split-folding third-row seats, combining comfort and versatility. Interior materials range from fabric to synthetic leather depending on the trim. Suspension and traction control are tuned for comfort and stability across various terrains. The SPACCER® lift kit enhances ride quality and reduces noise.
Connectivity is anchored by the 12.3-inch touchscreen, supporting satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and digital radio. Toyota Connected Services offer 12 months of remote vehicle management via the myToyota Connect app, improving convenience and safety.
Market Positioning and Future Outlook
The Kluger remains a popular family SUV but faces competition from body-on-frame rivals like the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, which outsell it in Australia. Pricing has increased up to $1,490 due to cost pressures, though equipment levels have improved. Some models experienced digital instrument cluster issues, which Toyota is addressing with free fixes.
Looking ahead, the Kluger is expected to adopt Toyota’s latest hybrid technology introduced in the 2024 Camry, enhancing power and efficiency. Further advancements in driver-assistance systems will improve safety and connectivity, positioning the Kluger as a more sophisticated and efficient SUV for modern drivers.