Toyota has taken the wraps off an all-new, completely redesigned version of its largest SUV. The 2023 Toyota Sequoia is both more powerful and (almost certainly) more fuel-efficient than the old model it replaces and comes in a greater variety of trims. Which is a good thing. Because it needs to fill the shoes of two vehicles.
One Taking Over for Two
The 2023 Sequoia, of course, replaces the 2022 Sequoia. It needs to offer the comfort and dependability that was its forebear’s calling card. But Toyota has also pulled its legendary Land Cruiser full-size SUV from the American market. When buyers come to a Toyota salesroom looking for the kind of hard-working off-road capability the Land Cruiser was known for, salespeople will have the new Sequoia to show them.
So, the 2023 Sequoia will need to be available as a comfortable family hauler that can do weekend towing duty and as a reliable workhorse that will know the dirt better than the asphalt. Is it up to both jobs?
The Sequoia on dealer lots today has been largely unchanged since 2008. Its replacement looks like a significant step up in every way.
Toyota hasn’t released pricing for the new 3-row SUV, which will go on sale this summer. The outgoing 2022 Sequoia starts at $50,500 and stretches to around $70,000 fully equipped. Toyota also charges a $1,495 destination fee.
Mechanical Details
The Sequoia rides on the same frame as the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra.
That means it’s a traditional truck-based SUV with a ladder frame and real hauling skills. But, like the Tundra, it’s an updated version of the idea.
The biggest update is in the powertrain. The Sequoia is available only as a hybrid. But it’s not a Prius-like, commute-oriented fuel-sipper. It’s a hybrid with power. The new i-Force Max Hybrid powertrain pairs an electric motor with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, making 437 horsepower. That’s 56 more than the V8 of the old model.
Power goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or an optional part-time 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system. Towing capacity is 9,000 pounds – not far off the class-leading 9,300 of the Ford Expedition, our Best Buy among large SUVs.
Toyota hasn’t revealed mpg figures, but they’re almost certainly better than the current model’s 15 mpg combined.
Drivers can choose from Eco, Normal, Sport, and Tow/Haul modes. Its fully-boxed frame rides on an independent front suspension and multi-link coil-sprung rear end instead of old-school leaf springs. An optional air suspension with adaptive dampers adds Comfort and Sport Plus drive modes.
Variety of Trims
Shoppers will be able to choose from five trims, four of which mirror the choices on the old model. SR5, Limited, and Platinum offer the usual escalating levels of luxury, all in rear-wheel drive (RWD) or optional 4WD.
An off-road-oriented TRD Pro trim ships with the 4WD setup as standard equipment. It adds trail necessities like a locking rear differential, front skid plate, roof rack, and Multi-Terrain Select setting with a rock crawling mode.
All-new for 2023 is an ultra-luxury Capstone edition. It uses acoustic glass for a quieter cabin. Seats come upholstered in semi-aniline leather, with an available black-and-white color scheme not found on other trims, walnut trim accents, and ambient LED lighting.
Upscale Look
It’s hard to make a full-size SUV look anything other than ponderous, but Toyota designers have done an excellent job making the new Sequoia look dynamic. It has an oversized grille like everything else in its class. But new character lines in the hood integrate it smoothly. Creases above the big wheel arches seem to visually shrink the beast a bit in profile. It’s every bit as big as a Chevy Tahoe or Jeep Wagoneer but doesn’t look portly, thanks to the muscled detail lines.
Flexible Cabin
All three rows of seating recline. The third row can slide forward or back by 6 inches – a rare feature in this class – making the rearmost seats an option even for adults.
Toyota’s new Audio Multimedia entertainment system responds to voice commands or lets you control climate and entertainment functions through the central touchscreen. On the base SR5 model, that screen is just 8 inches — a screen so small we’re used to seeing it only in compact vehicles. All of Toyota’s press photos feature a 14-inch version in its place, which is optional on the SR5 and standard on other trim levels.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, as is a 4G data connection powering a wireless hotspot (though Toyota says there will be a subscription fee for using it). That should allow Toyota to send over-the-air updates to the vehicle.
Safety Sense 2.5
Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.5 driver aids are standard. That means automatic emergency braking designed to detect bicycles and pedestrians, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and a rear-seat reminder that chimes to remind the driver to check the back seat on getting out if someone opened it before the car started.
Heavy Competition
The Sequoia has long been a distant also-ran in the full-size SUV sales race. Toyota sold a little over 8,000 of them last year. By comparison, GM sold over 100,000 Chevy Tahoes and more than 80,000 of the near-identical GMC Yukon. Jeep has sat out the full-size SUV race in recent years but just introduced a new Wagoneer likely to earn a look from many buyers.
If Toyota wanted big SUV shoppers to give the Sequoia a look, the company needed to bring a compelling vehicle to market. Without pricing, it’s hard to say for certain whether they’ve done so. But, on paper, the new Sequoia looks like a contender.
