We received a fair amount of positive feedback from our coverage of the release of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L- a three-row, seven-passenger, family wagon- that we decided to highlight another touring wagon getting a facelift in 2021, the Toyota Sequoia. The Sequoia remains mostly the same in 2021 but gets some subtle changes and the release of the new Nightshade Limited Edition.
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There are a myriad of trims available on the 2021 Toyota Sequoia: SR5, Nightshade Edition, TRD Sport, TRD Pro, Limited, and Platinum. All trim levels of the Sequoia are available with Multi-Mode four-wheel drive as an option and the TRD Pro comes standard with 4×4. Each trim comes standard with the same dead-nuts reliable 3-UR 5.7-liter V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
The Nightshade Edition looks more like a Lexus than a Toyota as it has a lot of the glitz and glamour of the more expensive Lexus LX and GX models. The Nightshade edition is a murdered-out accent package that has a darkened grille, lower grille surround, body mouldings, fog surrounds, and badges. The darkened theme continues with the mirror caps, door handles, and the 20-inch wheels. The interior is mostly the same with the addition of black leather trimming on the seats. The Nightshade edition is available in Midnight Black Metallic, Magnetic Gray Metallic, or Blizzard Pearl exterior colors. We suspect the average overlander shopping for a new ride will bypass this new trim and opt for the time-tested TRD Pro trim.
The TRD Pro trim model comes equipped with FOX 2.5 inch bypass shocks in the front and 2 inch Fox shocks in the rear to improve ride quality off-road. The TRD Pro exhaust is a single exhaust exhaust with an embossed TRD logo and a deeper exhaust note. The interior of the TRD Pro boasts black leather seats, trimmed with red stitching. Along with the comfortable chairs, the Sequoia gets all-weather floor mats to keep the dirt and mud manageable.
The Toyota Sequoia really shines as a family hauler and the single most important area that this is clear is inside the cab. Each trim model seems to dictate how many speakers your Sequoia comes with: SR5 and TRD Sport models come with eight speakers, Limited comes with twelve speakers, and the TRD Pro and Platinum models come equipped with a fourteen speaker JBL sound system. All Sequoia models come standard with a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with smartphone compatibility that allows you to connect any of your mobile devices. Available on the Nightshade, Limited, and Platinum trims is a rear entertainment system with a nine-inch screen and wireless headphones to keep the kiddos entertained on those long drives. With a capacity of up to eight passengers, it will be good to keep some of them entertained.
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The family wagon has to be extremely safe and the 2021 Sequoia comes equipped with all of the acronym safety systems that you could want like Vehicle Stability Control, Anti-Lock Brake System, Active Traction Control, and Brake Assist.
The TRD Pro Sequoia has an MSRP of $64,225 and the Nightshade Edition will cost $63,345. Obviously the new Sequoia isn’t a globe-crossing expedition vehicle. But most of us just want a capable vehicle that we can load the whole family in and take to the woods and for that objective, the Sequoia is near-perfect.
Header image: Toyota USA
Overlanding Industry News by Zach Elseman. Follow Zach @okienomads.
