The New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid, is a very nice looking seven-seater SUV that I know lots of families consider for a family car. Whether you have one, two or five children this kind of car fits the wish list for many reasons, so let's find out how the Kluger gets on as a BabyDrive…
BabyDrive Verdict
When it comes to child seats, the 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid has ISOFix in the two outer second-row seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three second-row seats.
I found I could install three Infasecure child seats in the second-row; the Infasecure Aspire More booster seat forward-facing and two Attain More child seats, either forward or rear-facing, fit nicely.
The third-row seats do not have any top tether anchorages or ISOFix so I could not install most child seats back there, however the Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat does not require a top tether strap so you can put two of those in the third row for slightly older kids.
Third-row access is now very good in the new Toyota Kluger. There are levers at the bottom of the second-row seat base to slide the second-row seats forward.
This gives a good amount of space for a child to fit through to the third-row seats, however it is not enough room for an adult.
Once in the third-row it is comfortable for someone of my height, 162cm, when it comes to head and legroom but 170cm is probably the maximum.
Legroom is quite good throughout the New Kluger and we found I could sit in the third-row seats with a rear-facing child seat in the second-row with a 180cm driver or taller in the front passenger seat.
There are built-in window blinds in the back doors of the top spec Kluger Grande that I tested. I love these for keeping rear passengers shaded from the sun while you are driving, it is a great feature for families.
As well as air-con vents in the ceiling for both rear rows of seats, this is great for ensuring all your rear passengers are comfortable and kept cool in the summer.
There are air-con controls in the back of the central console for adult rear passengers to use but if you have kids on board there are controls in the front too.
Storage is good throughout the new Kluger for families. There are two cup holders on either side in the third-row seats and they're great sizes for coffee cups and water bottles.
In the second row there is great family storage; two iPad concealing map pockets, two good size cup holders and the door bins are great! They will hold double water bottles and there are storage handles too.
In the front there are two practical size cup holders and a phone tray.
The shelves in the dash are great storage for your phone or wallet or ar all the little things your kids collect and pass through to you from the back!!
The door bins in the front are even bigger, holding an iPad with two water bottles.
Storage in the boot of the New Toyota Kluger is good. When using all seven seats it will hold eight shopping bags. This is comparable with the Hyundai Palisade which also holds eight shopping bags. The Kia Sorento holds five shopping bags and the Mazda CX-9 and CX-8Â both hold six shopping bags when using all seven seats.
We could fit a twin pram easily in the boot with a couple of shopping bags when using all seven seats, which is fantastic for large families with two little ones.
For smaller families who will not need to use the third-row seats regularly the boot space is fantastic! It will hold twenty bags of shopping, which is comparable to the Hyundai Palisade that will hold 21 bags. The Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9 and CX-8 will all hold seventeen.
All sizes of prams and strollers will easily fit in the boot with a generous amount of space for shopping and scooters etc.
If you want to transport your family dog then you could fit a very large pet dog in the back of the Toyota Kluger.
The media system in the Toyota Kluger is a little bit of a disappointment for me. It is still pretty basic and has quite an 80's digital feel to it and I just would have expected it to have been updated in this new model.
The 2021 Toyota Kluger does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto though, which is great for families to access their audio apps etc.
The camera images are very dark and blurry, I would have loved there to be nice crystal clear views with this seven-seater.
You can also turn on an exterior 360-degree camera with a button by the driver's right knee, I found this great to check the surrounding when parking and manoeuvring, especially in playground and school carparks.
Being a Hybrid the version of 2021 Toyota Kluger I tested is much more economical for families to drive and has a lot of the benefits of electric vehicles. These include a nice quiet start and being able to drive your kids to sleep or sit with the air-con running while they are asleep using the battery power rather than wasting fuel.
The 2021 Toyota Kluger feels much the same to drive as the previous model. It is quite cushiony and armchair like. It is easy to park in school and supermarket car parks but the visibility is hard out of the back with three child seats installed and I found the reversing camera too dark to rely on. I found myself relying on the side mirrors and 360-degree exterior camera.
The New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid is a great all rounder seven-seat SUV for families big and small. It has practical third-row access for occasional use with school friends and grandparents too. The legroom is good for distribution between the three rows of seats even with forward or rear-facing child seats installed in the second-row. This has not taken away from the boot space, which is plenty for small and large families who need five or seven seats.
The New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating, it has seven airbags as standard. Including dual frontal, side head-protecting airbags in the first, second and third rows. Side chest-protecting airbags for the first row only, and a driver knee airbag are standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid?
The New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid has a very generous size boot that will hold twenty shopping bags when using five seats. Which is comparable to the Hyundai Palisade that will hold twenty one bags and the Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9 and CX-8 will all hold seventeen.
The twin stroller fits in the boot of the 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid with ten shopping bags.
A tandem pram fits in the boot with eleven shopping bags beside it.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The single pram fits in the boot of the Toyota Kluger Hybrid with eleven shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits with seventeen shopping bags beside it.
Or you could fit your family extra large size dog in the boot, the boot floor is nice and flat and carpeted for a comfy ride for your pet, or an emergency nappy change.
How good is storage inside the New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid?
Storage throughout the interior of the New Toyota Kluger Hybrid is very practical for families big and small. There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup.
In front of these there is a wireless phone charging tray and three USB sockets and a 12V socket too. Above this is a storage shelf also good for storing a phone while it is plugged in.
There is another shelf in the dashboard above the glove box. The glove box is a useful size and will hold an iPad and wallet with the manual.
The central console storage box is nice and large with a tray in the top.
There is a glasses case in the ceiling and lit vanity mirrors for both front passengers.
There is a coin drawer by the driver's right knee.
The front door bins of the New Toyota Kluger Hybrid are really big and will hold an iPad as well as two large refillable water bottles.
The rear doors of the New Toyota Kluger Hybrid will also hold two large refillable water bottles.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad, which is really useful for families with kids that watch devices in the car.
There is a fold-down armrest in the central seat back with two cup holders that will hold a reusable coffee cup and a refillable water bottle fits too.
In the third row there are two cup holders on either side for passengers coffee cups or water bottles.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid?
The New Toyota Kluger Hybrid has a lovely quiet start, which is great for a BabyDrive. Being a hybrid, you can drive your kids to sleep in the Kluger and sit while they are sleeping with the air-con running using battery power, rather than fuel.
The media system in the New Toyota Kluger Hybrid has not really changed from the previous model, which is disappointing. It is basic and old school in feel and use.
It contains built-in sat-nav in this top-spec Grande Hybrid version.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too, which was great for easily connecting my phone.
The reversing camera image is really dull and dark which I found difficult to use because I couldn't see the image clearly enough.
There is a 360-degree exterior camera too which was a little easier to see.
The indicators are not too loud in the New Toyota Kluger Hybrid and didn’t disturb my sleeping children.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to triple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
You can lock the doors and windows in the Toyota Kluger Hybrid with buttons in the driver's door control panel.
Being a hybrid, this Toyota Kluger has a nice quiet start and then it is relatively quiet while you are driving at lower speeds. When it transitions to the engine it is similar to drive as the previous model and still has that quite cushiony and armchair like feel.
The driver display also clearly tells you your distance to empty, which is another great BabyDrive feature.
The cruise controls are on the right on the steering wheel. I found it quite easy to use and the cruise control was pretty accurate at high speeds on motorways as well as at slower speeds on undulating roads. Big improvement over the old Kluger!
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the New 2021 Toyota Kluger Hybrid?
There are top tether anchorages in the back of all three of the Toyota Kluger Hybrid's second-row seats, they are clearly labelled and within plastic guides which makes them nice and easy to connect to.
There are ISOFix points in both the outer rear seats, they are easy to connect to.
With two child seats installed there was room for me to sit between the two seats.
The third-row seats of the Toyota Kluger Hybrid are very comfortable to sit in. They have no top tether anchorages or ISOFix so I could only put an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat back there because it does not use a top tether strap.
I could sit comfortably in the third-row seats and I am 162cm. I don't think anyone more than 170cm would be able to sit in the third-row seats.
Access through to the third row is very good now in the Toyota Kluger Hybrid, with handles on the second-row seat base to slide it forward. If you are using a child seat which uses ISOFix instead of the seatbelt then you can slide the seat forward far enough for a child to step through to the third-row seats.
Legroom is good throughout the Toyota Kluger Hybrid and with the Infasecure Attain More child seat installed rear-facing, a 180cm driver could fit in front and I could sit in the third-row seats. A 186cm+ passenger could sit in front of a rear-facing Attain More.
I found posting Bub into their rear-facing child seat to be good from outside of the car in the Toyota Kluger Hybrid. The doorway is nice and open so you can slot your child easily into their seat. The ceiling is high enough inside that posting Bub into their seat from inside is easy too. There are handles above both the rear doors to hang a child's toy from.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed, the interior is very spacious.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the Toyota Kluger Hybrid? And How good is the Toyota Kluger Hybrid to drive?
The front seats of the Toyota Kluger Hybrid are very comfortable, the seats are electronically adjusted, with controls on the side of the seat base.
The seats throughout the top-spec Toyota Kluger Hybrid Grande I tested had large perforated panels for heating and cooling which are great for comfort but wouldn't be the easiest to keep clean!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are very comfortable and I can fit between two child seats, the rear central seatback is a bit firm where you have the fold-down armrest.
For the first year of my babies lives when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with them so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down as well in the Toyota Kluger.
There are four air vents in the front of the Toyota Kluger Hybrid, two in the centre under the media screen and one at either end of the dashboard.
There are vents in the ceiling for both rows of rear passengers, with controls on the back of the central console box as well as in the front media screen so parents can override any settings in the back.
The rear doors have built-in window blinds in this top-spec Grande model which are great for families to shade rear passengers from the sun while driving along.
Visibility is quite limited out of the back with three child seat on board or passengers in the third row so you really rely on the side mirrors.
The reversing camera image is just too dark and blurry to rely on, I found.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Toyota Kluger Hybrid was a bit tricky to park but the using the 360degree camera did help.
In testing, it scored 88% for child occupancy protection and 90% for adult occupancy protection.
In the child occupancy crash testing ANCAP wrote:
In the frontal offset (MPDB) and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year and 6 year dummies was GOOD for all critical body regions and maximum points were scored in these tests.
The Toyota Kluger is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages for the outboard second row seating positions, and top tether anchorages for all second row seating positions. Neither top tether or ISOfix anchorages are available in the third row. Installation of child restraints in the third row is therefore not recommended.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most second row seating positions, however one of the selected convertible seats could not be correctly installed in rearward- facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages in the outboard seats of the second row. Care is also required when using the seatbelt attachment when installing a rearward-facing baby capsule for the outboard second row positions.
Seven airbags come as standard in the Toyota Kluger Hybrid; there are dual frontal, side head-protecting airbags for the first, second & third rows, and side chest-protecting airbags for the first row, and a driver knee airbag are standard. A centre airbag to minimise occupant injury in a far-side impact crash is not available.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
My initial thoughts were “what a nice looking vehicle from the front and I love the nose on this thing!” The CX-5 we got to test was the top spec model so I was expecting it to be as impressive on the inside Read More
Be the first to comment