Carved out exclusively for the North American markets, the Sequoia was Toyota’s largest vehicle when it debuted in 2000. At the time, it carried a lot on its shoulders, competing against established stalwarts like the Ford Expedition, the Chevrolet Tahoe, and its badge-engineered corporate cousin, the GMC Yukon. In terms of its size, the Sequoia fell short of the giants like the short-lived Ford Excursion or the Chevy Suburban but had enough gumption to set the ball rolling for Toyota.
Sailing through two generations since then, the third generation of this jumbo-sized SUV debuted earlier this year as the 2023 model year. It was the need of the hour as it came 15 years after the second generation came in 2007. So it’s all-new from the ground up and boasts plenty of exciting features that can make any full-size three-row SUV fan drool at the very first sight. Under the hood, the redesigned Toyota Sequoia comes with a brand-new, powerful, and efficient hybrid powertrain that is significantly better than its older avatars.
The all-new 2023 Toyota Sequoia now stands tall among a bevy of rivals in the full-size three-row SUV segment and is all set to flip the tables when it goes on sale later this year. Let’s dig in more about this redesigned legendary king-size 2023 Toyota Sequoia.
The Bold And Beautiful 2023 Toyota Sequoia
With a fresh new look inside out, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia will come as a hybrid-only model but will borrow its underpinnings from the current-gen Tundra, Land Cruiser, and the Lexus LX600. It gets a muscled-up iForce MAX hybrid powertrain and a standard 10-speed automatic transmission both on loan from the latest-gen Tundra pickup. This powerplant comprises a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 engine and an electric motor that’s good enough for a massive output of 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. This makes for a rather impressive less-than-6-second waltz to 60 mph when adequately equipped with all the performance paraphernalia.
Rear-wheel-drive is standard on all the Sequoias models and there’s an option for four-wheel-drive as well. However, the top-spec Sequoia TRD Pro comes armed with plenty of off-road goodies like upgraded Fox dampers, a front skid plate, a locking rear differential, and forged 18-inch wheels with 33-inch tires. It also gets four-wheel drive as a standard feature.
Premium From The Inside With An Immense Cargo Hauling Capacity
Sitting at the top of the Sequoia lineup is the Capstone trim that carries the Toyota beacon as the most luxurious Sequoia to date. It gets a gamut of top-shelf features that makes it sit above the rest of the bunch. Apart from plenty of cosmetic upscale features, it sports a new set of 22-inch chrome wheels, a first for Sequoia and exclusive to the Capstone models, and acoustic glass in the front doors to muffle the exterior sound.
With the proper equipment, the upcoming 2023 Toyota Sequoia can tow up to 9,520 pounds which is an improvement of almost 26% over the outgoing Sequoia. With this, towing boats, RVs, or even cargo trailers is easy-peasy for the 2023 Toyota Sequoia. It also outdoes its key competitor and the segment leader Ford Expedition in this department by almost 220 pounds. However, the current-gen Jeep Wagoneer, launched last year in a brand-new avatar, offers the best-in-class towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds for people who are looking for a beast that can tow more.
In terms of fuel economy, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia has been able to address the woes of the older models with the efficient hybrid powertrain. Its new MPG figures are 22 mpg combined for the real-wheel-drive Sequoias and 20 mpg combined for the four-wheel-drive ones. With this, it outclasses most of its rivals in the full-size SUV bazaar.
Other Key Features And Prices
Toyota gives the all-new Sequoia brand-new multimedia that comes designed and engineered by Toyota’s Texas-based Connected Technologies team. First featured in the recently-launched Tundra, it offers an enriched user experience via new sight, touch, and voice activation that gets triggered the moment you say phrases like “Hey Toyota”.
All Sequoia models feature Toyota’s ground-breaking Safety Sense 2.5 which includes a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection. Apart from this, the new Sequoia also gets Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking as standard safety features. All versions come armed with Toyota’s Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Automatic High Beams, Road Sign Assist, and Rear Seat Reminder.
As far as the longevity of the Sequoia, all trims come with a 36-month/36,000-mile basic new-vehicle warranty that covers all the components except the normal wear and maintenance items. Plus, there’s an additional 60-month/60,000-mile warranty that covers the powertrain but for corrosion, there’s no mileage limitation. So Toyota declares that the Sequoia will last you a lifetime.
When it comes to pricing, the entry-level 2023 Toyota Sequoia 4X2 SR5 will set you back by around $58,300 MSRP. While the top-of-the-line variant, the four-wheel-drive-only TRD Pro starts at $76,900, the high-end 4X4 Capstone will cost $78,300.
Sources: Toyota, YouTube channel Toyota USA