Seven-seaters are appealing even if you only have two kids. Knowing that you’ve got the flexibility to carry their friends and all the gear is worthwhile peace of mind.
Combine the practicality with SUV styling that Australians love, and you’ve got a winner on the showroom floor.
Toyota now have three models in this game – the Land Cruiser Prado and Fortuner being serious off-roaders in their spare time.
The Kluger ditches aspirations of getting muddy for better handling, a more comfortable interior and handsome styling.
Those attributes, coupled to Toyota’s reputation for reliability, make it unsurprising that the Kluger is very popular: more than a thousand are shifted each month.
However, unlike its rivals the Kluger is an American-built car and that means this is a petrol-only proposition. Now that petrol is comparatively cheap, the diesels of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento carry less of an advantage.
There’s no avoiding the fact that the 2016 Toyota Kluger is more expensive than both those rivals. So, the question is, are you getting what you pay for by opting for the Toyota?