Toyota shines a light on Kluger Black Edition
BY TUNG NGUYEN | 2nd Apr 2019
TOYOTA Australia has launched a new Black Edition of its Kluger seven-seater, priced at $55,907 before on-road costs for the two-wheel drive (2WD) and $55,970 for the all-wheel-drive (AWD) version.
Though pricing puts the Black Edition $1020 above the mid-tier GXL grade upon which it is based, buyers will be compensated for the extra spend with additional exterior equipment.
Blacked-out 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/55 rubber now fill the wheelarches in lieu of 18-inch hoops, while the roof rails and upper grille are also given a darkened hue.
To complete the look, smoked backplates for the headlights are also fitted.
Interestingly though, black is not the only exterior colour available to the Kluger Black Edition, as an additional seven hues are also offered.
Under the bonnet, the Black Edition is still motivated by a familiar 218kW/350Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6, which is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel economy is rated at 9.1 and 9.3 litres per 100km for the 2WD and AWD versions respectively.
Inside, the latest Kluger is fitted with a tri-zone climate control system, power-operated tailgate, keyless entry, push-button start, 8.0-inch infotainment system with satellite navigation and digital radio, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 4.2-inch driver display, and automatic wipers.
Safety equipment extends to autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, active cruise control, seven airbags, reversing camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitor and automatic high beams.
Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley said the Black Edition will give buyers a unique option in the SUV space.
“Toyota Kluger customers now have another opportunity to distinguish themselves beyond the contemporary design, seven-seat space and handling performance that is synonymous with every Kluger,” he said.
Last year, sales of the Toyota Kluger hit 14,743, a noticeable 17.9 per cent increase over 2017’s year-end tally.
However, for the first two months of 2019, Kluger sales have slid back 16.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2018 to 1420 units.
2019 Toyota Kluger Black Edition pricing*
| 2WD (a) | $55,970 |
| AWD (a) | $59,970 |
*Excludes on-road costs
