Toyota launches production of 2024 Grand Highlander

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Indiana unit on Wednesday launched production of the 2024 Grand Highlander, a three-row crossover.

In 2021, Toyota announced an $803 million investment in Indiana to produce two crossovers, the first of which being the Grand Highlander.

The Grand Highlander, which debuted at the Chicago Auto Show, is advertised as a vehicle for growing families. A prominent feature of the vehicle is its large size and substantial third row. The third row features an additional 5.8 inches of legroom compared with the Highlander, 2.5 extra inches of shoulder room and more than an inch of extra headroom.

The Grand Highlander is larger in every dimension compared with the Highlander, yet is not quite as big the Toyota Sienna minivan or Toyota Sequoia body-on-frame SUV.

The announcement included a five-year, multimillion-dollar commitment of donations to Indiana schools. The Toyota USA Foundation announced 'Driving Possibilities' grants of up to $11.1 million to prepare students for future science, technology, engineering and math careers.

Paige Hodder contributed to this report.