The long wait is almost over for the arrival of the new Toyota Sequoia, with the Japanese automaker sharing the first image of the full-size SUV on Tuesday, January 18. In a press release, Toyota revealed a teaser image of a red vehicle with an accompanying text, "Something big is coming to the Toyota SUV lineup. A clear picture will come into view soon. Stay tuned."
The much-awaited update for the Sequoia is long overdue, considering the second-generation vehicle debuted way back in 2007. That makes the current Sequoia the oldest vehicle in Toyota's car lineup, with the SUV last redesigned for the 2008 model. Toyota did give the Sequoia a few notable changes since then, like the Nightshade Edition and TRD-Pro trims, but none of these updates were able to mask the SUV's aging platform.
That is about to change with the upcoming release of the 2023 Sequoia. The new version of the big SUV is expected to be closely related to Toyota's Tundra pickup, just like the previous two generations of the Sequoia. The new Sequioa will make its debut soon, with the third-generation SUV expected to arrive by the end of the year. The Sequoia's release is perfectly timed for Toyota, with the Land Cruiser now phased out in the United States.
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The Sequoia will likely utilize Toyota's body-on-frame Global F platform, a technology that the carmaker introduced with the 2022 Lexus LX and the 2022 Tundra. That same platform, which features a fully boxed steel frame for added rigidity, is also expected to underpin the next Hilux and Tacoma pickups.
The new Sequoia will continue to use an independent rear suspension, unlike the global Land Cruiser and the Tundra, which use a solid rear axle. Toyota is expected to offer customers seven or eight-seat configurations for the Sequoia with various trim levels, including an option for a TRD Pro variant which is tailored for off-road drives.
The Sequoia is expected to carry various improvements from the Tundra, like a digital gauge cluster and a massive 14.0-inch touchscreen. Toyota is expected to drop Sequoia's ancient 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed automatic and replace that with a newer 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and 10-speed transmission in the next model.
In the latest model of the Tundra, a twin-turbo V-6 produces either 348 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque or 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The V-8 of the current Sequoia produces 381 horsepower. Toyota is expected to provide customers with an option for a Sequoia hybrid for the first time. An iForce MAX twin-turbo V-6 hybrid will be available for that SUV with that engine producing 437 horsepower.
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