BIG SUV CAN NOW TOW MORE — AND DO IT MORE EASILY
Three-row SUV hybrid based on powerful new Tundra pickup, David Booth writes.
Well, no surprise here: the latest version of Toyota's gargantuan Sequoia is based on the recently released Tundra. Oh, there are three rows of seats in its (expansively hedonistic) cabin rather than a bed for plywood, but in most regards the Sequoia is the Tundra's brother.
The engine is a carbon copy of the series hybrid that serves as the top-of-the-line choice. A 3.4-litre (Toyota officially calls it a 3.5 L) twin-turbo V-6 is mated to a 48-volt motor-generator, sandwiched between engine and transmission and fed by a 1.87-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery.
Add it all up and there's 437 horsepower and 583 poundfeet of torque on tap, one of the reasons this third-generation Sequoia can now tow 4,080 kilograms (9,000 lbs). That said, the extra paraphernalia will probably make an already incredible bulk even heavier; the Tundra with the same powertrain weighs in at over 6,000 lbs.
The pickup version of the hybrid consumes about one litre per 100 kilometres less fuel than the same motor without electrification. When treated with the same delicacy that you'd treat your first-born's first diaper change, you might get up to 29 km (Toyota seems overly specific on that count for some reason) on electric power alone. But the real reason you should be excited about the new hybrid powertrain is that it's fortified with twin-turbo V-6 goodness.
Toyota's latest TNGA-F bodyon-frame platform in the Sequoia is similar in construction, if not quite in detail, to the Tundra.
The Sequoia, for instance, rides on independent double-wishbone front suspension up front, and unlike its predecessor — which grafted an independent rear suspension onto the back of its boxed frame — the 2023 version reverts to a solid rear axle, albeit a modern multi-link system. There's also an optional load-levelling air suspension to help keep the Sequoia on an even keel while towing.
And there's more. The new Sequoia comes with Toyota's latest Trailer Backup Guide. At the toggle of a button, the system guides your steering so you can manoeuvre the big SUV and any trailer it's towing into the tightest of parking spots. The Straight Path Assist system is even easier, as it keeps the trailer on a perfectly straight line when reversing all by itself; you just have to work the brakes and gas.
Speaking as one who is admittedly fearful of trailering anything larger than a bike sled, any technology that takes the frustration out of backing up a five-plus-metre SUV with an even bigger trailer out back is welcome. And even when you're not towing, the Sequoia's plethora of cameras display multiple exterior angles on a large 14-inch touch screen, or the optional digital-display rear-view mirror.
Inside, all 2023 Sequoias will come with three rows of seats, though how they are distributed and clothed differs among the five trims available, which include TRD Off-road, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and the new top-of-the-line Capstone.
In Canada, the TRD package is the cheapest Sequoia available. But even if its interior amenities aren't as luxurious as its siblings, it comes with a shopping cart-sized list of off-road goodies, including a selectable locking differential, Multi-terrain Select that helps control wheelspin for improved traction, Downhill Assist Control, and a Crawl Control that serves as a sort of off-road cruise control for low-speed trail navigation to minimize the herky-jerkiness of the throttle in 4WD Low. Trd-tuned Bilstein monotube shock absorbers and Trd-tuned springs are standard.
Toyota says the red front-axle driveshaft provides “added flair.” Yes, we have come to a point in the world of automotive fashion that the driveshaft is now a styling differentiator. Oh, my.
Moving further up the trim ladder adds luxury bits at each grade, until we come to the new Capstone. In this trim, there's open-pore American walnut at every turn, semi-aniline leather trimming the seats, and acoustic glass for a quieter cabin. Speaking of noise, a 14-speaker JBL sound system belts out the tunes and is controlled by a 14-inch infotainment touch screen.
Naturally, The Sequoia connects to both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, but it also lets you use Bluetooth to connect with two iphones simultaneously. And being a top-of-the-line Toyota, there's a host Toyota Safety Sense features, not the least of which is dynamic cruise control and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection — which can also detect bicyclists, at least in the daytime.
Toyota Canada has yet to finalize the pricing of the 2022 Sequoia, which is due to arrive late this summer.