The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max — now in its third year on the market — is a thoughtful response to the ever-growing expectations of modern consumers. How do you balance carry-all capability, fuel efficiency, and performance to make highway passing and loaded road trips feel confident rather than laboured?
The Grand Highlander is pitched as a roomier, more people-hauler oriented companion to the regular Highlander, and the Hybrid Max variant hones that pitch by offering a more powerful hybrid powertrain while retaining the three-row practicality valued by big families. The result is a vehicle that provides sensible daily duties without feeling like an absolute penalty box to spend time in. While it doesn’t rewrite the rules for this market segment, it manages to be one of the more convincing “do-it-all” family haulers on the market this year, without going to a full-blown minivan like a Toyota Sienna or a Kia Carnival.
First impressions
On the outside, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max keeps Toyota’s current design language but in proportions optimized for utility. The silhouette is long and purposeful; the hood stretches forward to give the nose a planted look while the roofline doesn’t taper down as with some SUVs, instead remaining high enough to promise real third-row accommodations rather than just token jump seats, exactly like the Lexus TX350 I had last year.
The overall design is restrained rather than flashy. Practical touches such as roof rails, tidy LED lighting, and a wide rear hatch underline the car’s family-vehicle priorities and sets out to keep the promises it sets to deliver from a utilitarian perspective. It may not be attractive as a Mazda CX-90, but it still hits all the right notes when it comes to stately design that will age fairly well.
Interior comfort, cargo, and tech
If you prioritize space and interior volume, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max really sells itself inside. The squared-off exterior translates to maximized interior volume; the second row offers generous legroom that can slide and recline, while the third row is comfortable enough for teens and even adults on shorter trips. At 586 litres, cargo space behind the third row is usable for groceries, weekend bags, and a stroller. Folding the third row increases that number to 1,640 litres and gives you a flat load floor for bulky cargo, sports gear, or a heavy Costco run. Stow everything and you have 2,761 litres at your disposal.
Materials and finish are a few steps above base model rental-fleet spec. With soft touch surfaces, leather-like upholstery, and a well laid-out dash, the cabin feels more upscale than what the badge suggests. Think old-school Lexus. Storage cubbies, multiple USB ports, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and an infotainment system with physical controls for most functions all point to Toyota’s focus on everyday convenience rather than gimmicky luxuries — ahem, like Lexus’ new electronic door handles.
Powertrain, performance, and driving dynamics
Underpinning the Hybrid Max is what separates our fully loaded Grand Highlander tester from the more budget-focused trim levels. Toyota pairs its new-ish turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder with a hybrid system that emphasizes extra power instead of maximizing economy. With a combined 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, the Hybrid Max leans toward low to mid-range thrust, almost V8 in nature. Surprisingly, Toyota uses a six-speed automatic instead of the “regular” Highlander hybrid’s CVT, making it feel less of a sewing machine and more of a progressive brute.
Compared to the CX-90 Signature, this feels quicker and gives off a more wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing vibe, as unsuspecting commuters in other greyscale blobs will ask themselves, “what the heck just passed me?” Highway acceleration is far from lethargic — important when you’re carrying a bunch of screaming kids, a nagging partner, and cargo that you almost forgot to pack. The drivetrain also integrates all-wheel-drive in a way that improves traction in less than ideal conditions without compromising efficiency, a huge benefit to those who don’t want the added quirks and driving characteristics of a body-on-frame, four-wheel-drive SUV such as the Toyota 4Runner or even Lexus LX 700h.
Driving dynamics reflect the Grand Highlander’s family-hauling priorities rather than driving engagement. Ride quality is tuned for comfort; the suspension soaks up potholes and highway irregularities with composure, and the lightly weighted steering aims more for predictable and quick responses rather than feedback. That said, when you ask for more — a brisk overtake or quick lane change — the Hybrid Max’s extra low-end torque makes the manoeuvre feel confident instead of anxious.
For buyers who want a pleasant long-distance cruiser that can also handle merging onto busy highways without feeling like a slug, the Hybrid Max is a great choice. For someone looking for sport sedan characteristics in a three-row, the CX-90 nails that beautifully. The flip side to that coin is that most families don’t care for driving dynamics in an SUV but rather utility and usability, which is where the Grand Highlander really shines.
Fuel economy
Fuel consumption for the Hybrid Max variant takes a penalty — though a slight one — compared to the Frugal McDougall-spec Grand Highlander Hybrid. Officially rated at 9.9 L/100 km city, 8.8 highway, and 8.8 combined, we averaged 10.7L/100km combined with the two weeks we had with it. The long-periods of warming up the car during really cold days and my lead foot contributed to the slightly worse than advertised fuel economy, but it’s still very respectable for a heavy three-row vehicle.
If you drive more like your grandparents and go easy with the throttle pedal, you can see numbers as low as 9 L/100 km on short trips, which is really impressive for the size and weight. The Hybrid Max doesn’t make you choose between performance and economy; it lands almost in the middle, offering usable performance while maintaining reasonable fuel costs. If there was one criticism, we just wish the fuel tank was slightly bigger for better range. It only accommodates around 65 litres of fuel, whereas theCX-90 Signature carries 74 L. Expect a realistic 450-kilometre range before the fuel light comes on, even worse if you have a lead foot.
Tech and driver assists
Toyota leans heavily on safety and technology with this top-of-the-line Grand Highlander, offering what buyers expect in this segment: a full suite of driver assists, lots of airbags to keep everyone safe in those worst-case scenario situations, and useful onboard tech. The Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite — with key assists such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection — is standard on the Platinum trim. The driver monitor camera, though good in its intent, does become a nuisance especially for people that constantly scan their side-view mirrors or wear polarized sunglasses, which makes a mostly calm and pleasant driving experience into a slight chore since the system thinks you are distracted in those situations.
In terms of infotainment, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto is standard for most trims. It’s housed in a 12.3-inch touch display along with a JBL sound system to play the latest Disney tunes or K-Pop Demon Hunters, complimented by a plethora of USB connectors to keep everyone’s phone charged, regardless of where they sit. The Grand Highlander executes the task of keeping everyone connected, comfortable, and safe. Besides the slightly cumbersome distracted-driver monitor that chimes at you for checking your mirrors, tech gimmicks are not the focal point here, unlike a lot of luxury brands.
Should you buy a Grand Highlander?
Pricing for the Canadian market places the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max on the expensive side of the mainstream three-row segment, but well worth it in our books. Our Platinum tester comes in at $66,530 as-tested before added fees and taxes; a comparable CX-90 Signature costs $63,650, the Honda Pilot Black Edition comes in at around $66,400, and at $58,899, the Nissan Pathfinder Platinum is the value proposition winner. But at end of the day, with the Grand Highlander, you are financing (or leasing) a vehicle from a brand that has the best overall reliability, resale value, and long-term satisfaction.
The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max makes a compelling case for big families who want more than the basics from a three-row SUV. It balances utility, thoughtful interior packaging, and a hybrid powertrain that provides peace of mind that you are never short on power. It’s neither the most thrilling SUV in the segment nor the most frugal, but it is possibly the most well-rounded of the three-row bunch. The Grand Highlander is practical where it needs to be, a touch upscale where it matters, and overall a well-engineered SUV that will be dependable day-in and out. For buyers who need a versatile family hauler that can also make highway driving feel confident, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is more than a strong candidate, but the benchmark in this competitive three-row SUV segment.
