Is this the end of the Land Cruiser, the replacement for the Sequoia, or an elongated version of the Highlander like the Lexus RX L? Possibly all of the above. According to a new patent filing, Toyota has trademarked the "Grand Highlander" name for use in North America. The trademark was filed on Christmas Eve in 2020 in Alexandria, Virginia. Just a few days later, another filing was made in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Details are scarce on the vehicle itself beyond that the application was seen between multiple parties.
Toyota Grand Highlander: Let The Speculation Begin
At this point, it’s entirely up to us to debate on what the Grand Highlander could be. One user on the GR86 forum has responded to the post's news saying that he heard the Sequoia was being dropped and this is its replacement. They also add that if it was a trim level, it’d had been done already, so the Grand Highlander must be entirely new. There’s merit to that statement.
We know that the Toyota Land Cruiser is done for in the US after 2021. We also know there’s a new Tundra coming, having spotted camouflaged test mules in the past. With such changes being made, it’s fair to assume that the Sequoia could be phased out.
Currently, the Toyota Highlander is based on the TNGA GA-K platform that supports two hybrid-only family cars, the Venza crossover and Sienna minivan. With a hybrid option available on the Highlander, the Grand variant could bring electrification to battle against the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which has debuted as a hybridized concept heading for production.
We’ll keep you posted as more details roll in on the Grand Highlander.