Though some overlanders have adopted the Sequoia as their trail rig in the last few years, it never really made sense to me. That’s because there were the more capable 4Runner and Land Cruiser sitting right next to the Sequoia on Toyota lots. Why would you pick the Sequoia?
Toyota has all but nullified that question in 2022 by not only canceling the Land Cruiser here in the U.S. but also building the all-new Sequoia (as well as its pickup truck brother, Tundra) on the Land Cruiser 300’s chassis.
Well, OK, it’s really the Land Cruiser’s chassis; it’s the new global F platform that will underpin all Toyota ladder frame-based trucks going forward. Yes, this includes Tacoma, Hilux, and 4Runner. But that’s another discussion for another day.
While previous Sequoias were masquerading as trail-ready machines, the 2023 Sequoia is not. It’s as capable as anything. With that exciting proclamation established, let’s dig into it.
First off, and I gotta say this: The 2023 Sequoia looks awesome. The outgoing one was a bit potato-y to me. This one is sharp but tough and, let’s be honest, has a much nicer nose than the 2022 Tundra. [Side rant: Why couldn’t the Tundra get this grille and Sequoia get the Tundra’s infinity grille? Rant over.]
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New Sequoia comes in five trims: SR5, Limited, TRD Pro, and Capstone. We’ll cover SR5 and TRD Pro here. No matter the trim, however, all new Sequoias will be powered by Toyota’s hybrid i-Force MAX 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that has a motor-generator wedged between its engine and 10-speed transmission. It produces a diesel-rivaling 437 horsepower and 583 foot-pounds of torque. Sequia can now tow up to 9,000 pounds — a 22% increase over the last generation.
SR5 comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, moonroof, heated seats, 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Add the SR5 Premium package on that and you get the snazzy new 14.0-inch touchscreen, Softex seating (vinyl instead of cloth), 120-volt cargo outlets and more.
You can add the TRD Off-Road package to SR5 and Limited trims. That comes with a locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select, Downhill Assist Control, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Monitor camera system. TRD-tuned Bilstein shocks are at all four corners behind special 18-inch wheels. Up front, designers went a bit wild and painted the front axle drive shafts red for additional flare.
The penultimate TRD Pro trim comes with second-row captains chairs, heated steering wheel, TRD roof rack, TRD-tuned internal bypass FOX shocks, half-inch aluminum front skid plate, and TRD dual exhaust tips.
Pricing will be made available closer to when the trucks go on sale in summer of 2022. Expect not to be able to leave the Toyota dealer with a Sequoia SR5 with TRD Off-Road package for less than $55,000 I’ll wager (if not much, much more).
That said, it’ll be pretty capable out of the box. In the press release, Toyota bragged about a new adjustable cargo shelf system in the back. Ostensibly designed to aid families, I can imagine it’d be helpful for overlanding cargo organization, too.
Given the potency, capability, and reputation the Sequoia has, I fully anticipate it being a very popular choice for overlanders starting this summer and going forward. Save the Lexus LX600, the Sequoia is really the closest we’ll get to the Land Cruiser 300 here in the states. I mean, it runs on the same chassis.
Ignore its nameplate and styling and you could buy the Sequoia and reasonably pretend you’re overlanding in the latest and greatest Land Cruiser. You shouldn’t have to tell yourself tales to spare your ego, though. Sequoia looks like it’ll be a full-size SUV you can be proud to take out on the trail.
