With more space, comfort, tech and safety features than ever before, the all-new 2014 Highlander makes it so much fun to go places. See more of the new Highlander at http://www.toyota.com/highlander

With its redesign for the 2014 model year, the Toyota Highlander has moved from middle-of-the-road to the passing lane, putting itself in position to pull ahead of competing crossovers. Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek says bold new exterior styling and high-quality interior materials set the right tone, while surprises like a cool multimedia shelf and a ginormous center console box add real wow factor. Rear-passenger room and cargo space have also improved, though an emphasis on sportier performance has actually hurt ride comfort.

New-generation family SUV has some familiar attributes.

Dial up the onboard apps on Toyota's new Kluger and as well as various internet radio services, vehicle settings and phone controls there's one called Driver Easy Speak.

Once activated it gives a strange echo in the car, like you're talking against a rock wall. But it's louder in the rear of the car, where it amplifies the driver's voice so those in the back get whatever message you're trying to convey.

It's a neat party trick, but something that could come in handy when the kids that will likely be occupying the sixth and seventh seat of Toyota's family SUV decide to muck up.

In reality the system is more gimmick than genuine feature that's likely to be hastily adopted by brands desperate to follow suit.

The new Kluger, or Highlander as it's known in the States, is impressively quiet, even at 120km/h on the broad, bustling concrete freeways that dominate the Los Angeles road network.

Even wind noise is well suppressed, while the V6 engine barely ranks on the decibel scale in sedate driving.

But that 3.5-litre engine, which is unchanged from the outgoing Kluger, can feel the circa-two-tonne weight of the Kluger when climbing hills. A new six-speed auto doesn't take much encouragement to drop down a ratio or two as it hunts for the engine's sweet spot.

The 337Nm torque peak is produced at 4200rpm, much higher than the turbo diesels that are more relaxed lugging this sort of weight.

While there's still decent shove lower in the rev range, it's ultimately higher up that the V6 does its best work.

Clean revving and punchy, it ensures brisk acceleration. The negative is fuel use, which can creep well into the double digits in traffic. We saw about 13 litres per 100km after some country road driving and the occasional town.

That said, the third generation Kluger promises to be more efficient than the previous model, thanks to minor weight savings and the six-speed auto.It's also helped partly by a new four-wheel-drive system; instead of splitting half the drive to the front and the other half to the rear the new one relies predominantly on the front wheels, apportioning some (up to 50 per cent) to the rear wheels.

The colour trip computer in the instrument cluster gives real time information on where the drive is going, showing that even when accelerating at freeway speeds some torque is sent to the rear.

Accelerating from a standstill or out of a tight corner can lead to some mild torque steer, or steering wheel tug. It'll likely be worse in the front-drive model that will be the price leader.

The Kluger is also set up more for comfort than devouring twisting mountain roads. The weight makes itself known around tight bends, although the 18-inch Michelin tyres (it's also offered with Toyo and Bridgestone rubber, depending on the grade) grip well enough.

The body can feel sloppy on tight direction changes and the steering lacks the fluidity and confidence that would help around sweeping bends.

Over an occasionally rough and rocky mountain track the Kluger coped well, using its decent ground clearance to good effect. Independent suspension offers respectable wheel travel for what is predominantly an on-road SUV, not a serious off-roader.

The stability control will occasionally have a light flashing on the dash as brakes are applied to take care of a minor slide or squiggle.

Taking off from a standstill doesn't take much to trigger the traction control, which can dull initial acceleration, but it starts moving with little fuss.

There's also a centre differential lock for slippery situations, such as snow, mud or sand; it automatically disengages at about 50km/h to prevent damage on bitumen surfaces.

Inside, the Kluger caters for families. Oversized cupholders are in abundance and the centre console with an unusual sliding lid (it leaves the arm rests in place while also allowing access to the binnacle) is deep and spacious; it's designed for handbags and all manner of other trinkets.

There's also a broad shelf across the passenger side of the dash that's great for phones, coins or whatever else you struggle to find a home for.

The main controls are inoffensive and functional enough, right down to the colour screen that's flanked by six main menu buttons. Once you've drilled down to sub-menus it's generally pretty good with large, legible icons, although the radio station list can be fiddly.

Leg room in the rear is generous, even for adults - at least with the seats slid back as far as it can go (the middle row slides and folds in a 60-40 relationship).

All new Klugers will offer seven seats, with the third row housing two. While there's an eight-seat option available overseas, it won't be available in Australia.

Other standard equipment includes stability control, seven airbags (dual front, driver's knee, front-side and full length curtain airbags down each side), a full-sized spare tyre, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, cruise control, Bluetooth and alloy wheels.

More expensive models will get satellite-navigation, leather trim, electric tailgate and various crash warning systems, such as lane departure warning and radar cruise control.

It also comes with a new look. The new Kluger is 80mm longer than the one it replaces yet the wheels are the same distance apart, so the extra length hangs out over the front and rear.

Combined with the big, bulbous, chromed nose it certainly ensure it stands out, although it's arguably lost some of the sleekness of the model it will step in for.

Still, it's unlikely to slow sales, which Toyota is confident will continue as one of the better selling seven-seat SUVs.

Australian versions

When it arrives here in March the Kluger will be available exclusively with a V6 petrol engine. Despite a shift towards more efficient diesel engines in large SUVs, the fact the Kluger's biggest market is America, where petrol reigns supreme.

The Highlander, as it is known in the US, is also available with a 2.7-litre four-cylinder and petrol-electric hybrid that uses the V6 and electric motors that combine to use about 40 per cent less fuel in city driving.

Toyota Australia has asked for the hybrid engine but it is currently not available, partly due to production restrictions. Whereas previous Klugers sold here came from Japan the next ones will come from Toyota's Indiana plant in the US.

At best the hybrid could be made available to Australians in 2015, but it could be later.

Two fresh-faced seven-seat SUVs face-off against each other.

Verdict

Nissan

A very close contest and either car is a worthy winner. But, all things considered, the Pathfinder takes a narrow win. It offers up better value, a more comfortable ride while still offering plenty of space for the family and longer capped price servicing.

Toyota

The new Kluger is a step ahead of the old model. It drives better (in fact, some may prefer its firmer ride to the Pathfinder) and offers up more space and equipment for less money than the old Kluger.

Winner: Nissan

Still vanilla, but surprisingly zesty vanilla.

Highs: Expected virtues (smooth, quiet, competent), unexpected agility.

Lows: Lilliputian third-row seat, so-so braking performance, numb steering.

The Highlander rolled onto the SUV scene in 2001, giving Toyota a carlike stablemate for the 4Runner, allowing the latter to be more attuned to those buyers who might actually take their vehicles into trackless territory. The Highlander’s bones were adapted from the Camry sedan and included front-wheel drive with the option of AWD, seats for five, and an easygoing persona. When we put it through its paces against two other new-for-’01 utes—a Ford Explorer and a Chevy TrailBlazer—the Highlander prevailed. “Isn’t this what we used to call a station wagon?” we asked. And answered: “Yep. And it works.”

This was before the word crossover became one of the most elastic terms in automotive history. And here we are, 13 years later, contemplating the third-generation Highlander. The fundamentals are essentially the same: front-drive architecture, AWD capability, all-around family-oriented transportation.

But there’s a lot more of it. Compared with the 2001 original, the 2014 Highlander is 6.7 inches longer overall on a wheelbase almost three inches longer than that of the original. It’s 3.9 inches wider, 590 pounds heavier than our similarly equipped 2001 Highlander Limited, and capable of seating seven or eight passengers. Make that barely capable for the rearmost two or thee passengers, but the original Highlander had places for only five.

Growth is unremarkable in this or any other vehicle class. What is remarkable is that for all its added mass, which in turn requires a bigger engine, the new Highlander outperforms its 2001 ancestor in every objective category, including fuel economy.

Power to Weight

Even though the third-generation model outperforms the first in straight-ahead urgency, it lags its immediate, second-gen predecessor slightly when the light turns green. Mated to a new six-speed automatic, the 3.5-liter V-6 output numbers are unchanged—270 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque—but weight has increased. A Highlander we tested in 2008 hit 60 in 7.0 seconds versus 7.3 for our 2014 test model. That ’08 Highlander was a front-drive model, whereas this one is all-wheel drive, but that doesn’t entirely account for the 350-pound difference in curb weight.

Some of the generational weight gain is attributable to dimensional increases—2.7 inches longer overall and a half-inch wider—some to selective structural stiffening, and some to effective sound-damping measures. Still, the acceleration of this much heavier Highlander versus the original is noteworthy—a tepid 8.8 seconds to 60 in 2001, 16.7 in the quarter-mile at 84 mph. EPA city mpg ratings for 2001 and 2014 are identical at 18, but the new AWD Highlander enjoys a 2-mpg edge at 24 mpg highway (25 with front drive). We logged a so-so 19 mpg in our testing of the 2014 model.

The Closet Athlete

For all its slightly more manly clothes, the new Highlander is dynamically a traditional Toyota, which is to say quiet, mannerly, and unobtrusive. These are not bad attributes for a family conveyance, and the third-generation model enhances those traits—no surprise there. But there is a pleasant surprise waiting for the driver who has to make an emergency avoidance move or is seized with a need to experience lateral grip and raised adrenaline on a stretch of winding back road.

At 0.80 g on the skidpad, grip—delivered by a set of 245/55 Toyo A20 Open Country all-season tires on 19-inch wheels—is far from leechlike, and the electric-assist power steering tends toward the vague. But for all that, the Highlander changes direction promptly and without drama or excessive body motions. And if the steering is short on tactile feedback, especially on-center, it’s nicely weighted, reasonably quick (2.7 turns lock-to-lock), and accurate once the driver is acclimated. The Highlander’s dominant handling trait is progressive understeer, but the flip side of that is total predictability and no unpleasant surprises. The Highlander achieves its athletics without sacrificing family-smooth ride quality, a function of its longer wheelbase and chassis enhancements.

The on-demand all-wheel-drive system operates transparently, working as a front-drive vehicle unless traction is diminished there, whereupon the system can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels. The V-6 AWD Highlander Limited is rated to tow up to 5000 pounds.

If there’s any dynamic disappointment, it’s braking performance. The binders showed a hint of fade after repeated hard stops at the test track, although that’s not damning. Repeated hard stops aren’t likely to be on the Highlander’s operating menu. But a full-on emergency braking episode is quite possible, and in this, the gen-three Highlander could be better. Although its test stops were within six feet of one another, 186 feet from 70 mph is disappointing. That’s not the worst in this class, but it’s definitely not the best, either.

Addenda

Our 2014 Highlander first-drive review covered the attractive interior redesign in detail, but a few elements merit additional mention. First, that parcel shelf spanning the lower dash from the right-side door frame almost to the left of the center stack is one of the niftiest stowage features we’ve seen in some time. The soft material at the bottom of the shelf damps rattles and keeps stuff from wandering around too much. Memo to feds: How about adding this to your list of mandates?

Number two is the six-speed automatic transmission. As noted, this is a new tranny, and the five-speed that came with lower trim levels in the gen-two Highlander is gone. In auto mode, the new transmission is smooth and responds promptly to commands from the driver’s right foot. However, its manual mode leaves something to be desired. Shifts are achieved by moving the lever fore-and-aft, which leads to an ongoing battle between the driver’s elbow and the center console—unless the console’s lid is open. We should add that this won’t be a big issue, since most drivers are likely to shift into D and fiddle with stuff on the parcel shelf instead.

Three, that third-row seat. The stretched wheelbase pays off with more interior volume, and fore-and-aft adjustability of the middle-row perches (captains’ chairs in our Limited example) makes the third row almost habitable—for hobbits. Really small hobbits.

Toyota has moved the Highlander toward a simplified model lineup with fewer options packages. There are five trim levels. In ascending order: LE, LE Plus, XLE, Limited, and Limited Platinum, with the least expensive all-wheel-drive LE and V-6 combo starting at $32,840. A front-drive four-cylinder Highlander LE can be had for $30,075.

Our $46,156 AWD Limited Platinum test unit was loaded with standard amenities such as a backup camera, rear parking assist, second-row captains’ chairs, heated and ventilated perforated- leather-trimmed power front seats, LED running lamps, a 12-speaker Entune premium audio system, and blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic warning systems. The Platinum package (a $2490 bump over a garden-variety Limited) added radar cruise control, a precollision system, lane-departure alert, auto high-beam control, a panoramic sunroof, and a heated steering wheel and second-row seats. Other options on our Platinum included engine remote start ($499), a glass-breakage sensor ($299), a tow hitch with a wiring harness ($699), and body-side moldings ($209).

Toyota’s attempt to make the Highlander more appealing to male buyers via slightly bolder styling is unlikely to make much of a ripple. Guys shopping for family rigs and operating with undiluted priorities are more likely to be looking at something like a Dodge Durango. But those guys should at least be aware that the new Highlander makes a stronger case.