2024 Genesis GV70 vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota’s lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander and other Toyota models, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 5,115 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, it was larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride, providing a spacious interior. Its design, inspired by rugged vehicles, featured a blockier style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the Toyota 4Runner. Inside, the Grand Highlander offered three trims with varying levels of luxury, including real leather in higher trims and a range of comfort features like heated seats and a large centre console.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 stood out with its sleek design, balancing SUV presence with luxury-car style. It featured Genesis’s signature split headlights and large grille, with a hatchback-like rear window profile and distinctive exhaust outlets on the Sport trim. Competing with models like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, the GV70 offered a more refined aesthetic. The Electrified GV70 maintained the same styling as its gasoline counterpart, with a unique grille housing the charge port. Inside, the GV70 boasted a distinctive interior with quilted Nappa leather, a panoramic sunroof, and a unique dashboard design. The infotainment system was intuitive, featuring a rotary controller and a 14.5-inch touchscreen, making it user-friendly and stylish.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A 2.5-litre hybrid option provided 245 combined net horsepower, while the top-tier Hybrid Max powertrain delivered 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All models came with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. Despite its size, the Grand Highlander’s brakes were solid, and its acceleration was adequate, though steering feedback was somewhat numb. It featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 retained its powertrain options, with a standard 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 300 horsepower and a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 offering 375 horsepower. The Electrified GV70 featured electric motors providing 429 horsepower, with a Boost Mode increasing it to 483 horsepower. All models had all-wheel drive. While the GV70 offered strong acceleration, its chassis tuning didn’t match its sporty rivals. The ride was comfortable but not as refined as expected. The Electrified model maintained similar handling despite its additional weight, and it featured adjustable regenerative braking for a customizable driving experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than most rivals, with a length of over 5 metres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. It offered substantial cargo space, with a total capacity of 2,761 litres, surpassing competitors like the Kia Telluride. Even with all seats up, it provided 583 litres of space. The interior was spacious and comfortable, with ample headroom and legroom in all rows, making it suitable for adults in the third row.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered competitive interior space, with slightly less headroom than some rivals but more front-seat legroom than others. It provided 818 litres of cargo space with rear seats up, more than the Mercedes GLC but less than the Audi Q5. Folding the seats increased capacity to 1,611 litres. The Electrified GV70 had minimal impact on interior space despite housing a battery pack. The stylish interior design limited small-item storage, but features like automatic side bolsters in Sport mode added to its appeal.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous models. It offered dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. An intelligent assistant and cloud-based navigation were available via subscription. The 11-speaker JBL stereo provided quality sound, and streaming audio integration was available.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 came with a 14.5-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch head-up display. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with a rotary controller and a fingerprint scanner for driver profiles. A 16-speaker Lexicon audio system was available, enhancing the audio experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard, featuring automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, and adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings. It had not yet been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. It included standard safety features like lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and Highway Driving Assist. A more advanced Highway Driving Assist 2 system was available, offering automated lane-change capability. The GV70 also featured a safe exit assist and a radar-based rear occupant alert system.