We Finally Have an All-New Toyota Sequoia
After 15 years, it's about time
After a decade and a half, we finally have an all-new Toyota Sequoia. The rugged full-size SUV has stretched its second generation for what seems like an eternity, riding on the same platform since November 2007 with only relatively minor updates to keep it fresh. And sure, it’s a hell of a good platform — so good that over 14% of all Sequoias sold manage to hit 200,000 miles, a feat beaten by only one other nameplate (Toyota’s own Land Cruiser). Still, after 15 years, the Sequoia is due for a change — and a big change it’s finally getting.
Next Gen: Toyota begins rolling out latest safety system
One of the biggest news is that the all-new 2023 Sequoia will use only a twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain, the same offered in the next-gen Toyota Tundra pickup. It generates 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque and enables the Sequoia to tow up to 9,520 pounds. It will be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and while Toyota has yet to reveal the SUV’s fuel economy, it says it anticipates a large improvement over the current model and that it will be “extremely competitive at the top of the segment.”
As for the architecture underpinning the whole thing, the Sequoia will feature a body-on-frame chassis with a fully boxed frame, a quality it shares with the next-gen Land Cruiser and Lexus LX. Toyota says this new architecture enhances both rigidity and ride comfort, complemented by a new rack-mounted electronic power steering system and multi-link rear suspension.
The 2023 Toyota Sequoia will be offered at five familiar trim levels including the off-road-focused TRD Pro grade and the new, ultra-luxurious Capstone grade already introduced on the Tundra. Some of the highlights include a 14-inch touch-screen display, wireless smartphone connectivity, a Google cloud-based navigation system, and Toyota’s smart AI assistant. The Sequoia will also come with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which is not the company’s latest version of the driver assistance suite (that would be the 3.0 version), but still more advanced than the TSS P featured on the current model.
The all-new Sequoia is being assembled in San Antonio, Texas, and will go on sale in late summer 2022 with a starting MSRP of $58,300. For the range-topping Capstone with all of the high-tech toys and sumptuous interior materials, it’ll cost an additional $20,000 on top of that.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.