Toyota Kluger is an affordable luxury 4WD.THE Toyota Kluger is a large, conservatively styled 4WD wagon that performs almost as well as a conventional wagon in onroad conditions and has more offroad ability than a huge majority of owners will ever need.
Toyota offers it as an option to its Prado and LandCruiser for those buyers (and there are plenty of them) who want the looks of 4WD but have no intention of going offroad.
Slightly smaller than the LandCruiser, but still capable of carrying seven people, provided two of them are childsize, the Kluger is based on the frontdrive Toyota Camry and is a close cousin of the highlysuccessful Lexus RX330.
The main limiting factor in the Kluger is its relatively poor ground clearance only about halfway between that of a normal 4WD and a passenger car.
Partly because of this lower clearance, ride comfort is very good and Kluger’s suspension soaks up typical Australian bush roads with nary a shudder. Handling onroad is better than average for the class.
Power comes from a transversely mounted 3.3litre 172kW V6 engine which is very similar to that in the more expensive Lexus RX330.
It provides plenty of grunt with acceleration that is comparable to all but the biggest sixcylinder cars sold in Australia.
All Klugers come with a fivespeed automatic transmission and there’s no manual option.
Though not a full sequential transmission in the modern mode, the Kluger unit is easy to use manually and the simple gate setup is soon mastered.
Kluger can carry four adults and three children in decent comfort.
Especially impressive is the rearseat legroom when the back seat is pushed all the way rearwards.
The normal rear seat has a 60/40 split and slides backwards and forwards depending on how much passenger/luggage space you require.
The front seat backrests can be folded back at right angles to make a notverycomfortable emergency bed.
The rearmost ‘third’ seat is an optional extra that folds completely out of sight.
When not specified you get a couple of extra underfloor luggage areas that keep the good stuff out of sight.
An interesting feature is the large storage area under the centre console. It’s reached from either side, not through the base of the console.
The base Kluger CV is priced at $43,990 and comes with five seats.
The extra seat in the rear is a $1000 option.
Incidentally, this seat folds completely out of sight under the floor and leaves a clean area for luggage when it’s out of the way.
Next up the tree is the $49,320 Kluger CVX.
Coming as standard with the rearmost seat, it also has a powered front seats, heating ducts to the rear seats, a sixCD stereo in place of the singledisc unit in the CV, leather trim on the seats as well as on the steering wheel and gear selector.
Externally, the CVX features 16inch alloy wheels, and foglights.
Topping the lineup is the $59,320 Kluger Grande. With a moonroof, satellite navigation, psuedowood trim inserts and automatic headlights it leaves little to be desired.
Mechanically, the Grande uses more complex stability and traction control systems with a good degree of electronic intervention.
Kluger sits nicely in the gap between the more funlike RAV4 and the relatively serious chassismounted Prado in the Toyota range.
It’s well priced when you consider the equipment it carries and seems assured of sales success in a market that already holds Toyota offroaders in very high regard.
Stick to dirt roads with the occasional gentle offroad excursion and Kluger should look after you, but if you want serious offroad adventures go for a LandCruiser.
The Toyota range is available for test drive at Harris Freer Toyota, 751 Princes Highway, Berwick. Phone 9707 4455.
MODEL RANGE
Kluger CV 3.3litre fivedoor wagon $43,990
Kluger CVX 3.3litre fivedoor wagon $49,320
Kluger Grande 3.3litre fivedoor wagon $59,320
