- (car honking)
- When Toyota took the wraps off
the redesigned 2023 Sequoia.
Our staff had a wishlist of things
we hoped to see in the full-size SUV.
Things like more power, more efficiency, more tech,
more luxury, better towing capabilities,
and all that while still retaining the old model's excellent
interior room and exterior visibility,
things that made the old model appealing despite its age.
We weren't really asking for much.
And it seems like at least on paper
Toyota's given us a lot of what we asked for.
There's a whole new styling,
the new Sequoia shares its architecture with
the new Tundra, as well as the global Land Cruiser,
we're not getting that here,
and the Lexus LX 600, the luxury Land Cruiser
which we are getting.
You get a new grill design, you get the Blue Hybrid logo
and we'll get to why that's here in a second.
And then as you move back, you get this boxier styling.
You get some character lines above the fender.
This is the new Capstone trim.
So you get 22 inch Chrome wheels
and the Capstone exclusive Chrome accents along the side
and you get this nice high belt line
and then a little bit more character lines
and then it finishes with a C-pillar
that to me reminds me a lot of the new LX.
We wanted more power and more efficiency
and it looks like we're gonna get both.
We're definitely getting more power.
All Sequoia's in fact are powered
by the new i-Force Max twin-turbo V6 Hybrid powertrain.
That first debuted on the Tundra.
It's got 437 horsepower and 583 pounds feet of torque.
That's up from 381 horsepower in the old Sequoia
and 401 pounds feet.
That covers the more power wish
but what about more efficiency?
Well, we don't have fuel economy numbers just yet
for the Sequoia.
Whatever it is for the new Sequoia?
It should be better than the old models, 14 to 15 MPG.
We also hope for more towing capabilities with the Sequoia
and Toyota has again delivered.
Back here is where the hitch hides.
Toyota says this new Sequoia will tow
up to 9,000 pounds up from 7,400 in the previous generation.
And we get some new neat features as well.
There's a tow tech package available
and standard on higher trims.
Comes with Trailer Backup Assist
to help you back up with a trailer
and then a Straight Path Assist that will actually
help keep the trailer straight while you're backing up.
There's also in certain models
an integrated Trailer Brake Controller.
Not clear just yet whether that's part
of the tow tech package
or available on certain trim levels and above.
But the old model didn't have
an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller at all.
You actually had to go and buy one
and install it separately.
So, did Toyota deliver on our ask for more luxury?
Well, for the most part, it seems so.
We already detailed some of the exterior luxury details
like the Chrome 22 inch wheels, the Chrome trim.
There's also Power Running Boards
though since this isn't powered at the moment
those don't deploy but they are there.
Inside. This is a prototype,
so take my materials quality impressions
with a grain of salt. But things do feel very nice.
You get this nice Two-Tone
white and black leather trim in the Capstone.
You also get Open-Pore Walnut Wood trim here.
You get a 14 inch touchscreen display.
Again, we don't have power but it is here.
You do also get a lot of nice physical controls
wireless charging, big center console.
You do have a drive mode selector,
that's a first for the Sequoia.
Also, push button four wheel drive over here.
I will say materials dip slightly at the door level
right about at midpoint down.
But overall it's pretty nice in here.
I don't think it surpasses the competition necessarily
but it definitely keeps up.
Here in the second row of the Sequoia Capstone
we still get mostly nice materials
although it starts to dip a little bit earlier
but one improvement over the old Sequoia,
you actually get USB ports.
Those weren't available in the second row of the old model.
You also get climate controls.
Heated and ventilated seats for the second row passengers.
For the most part comfort wise, things are okay here.
I have decent leg room, knee room,
my knees are a little elevated
and the front seat is kind of close to the knees here.
And my headroom is good for the most part
but this panoramic sunroof is starting
to cut into that headroom a little bit.
Also worth noting that on some trim levels of the Sequoia
this can be a bench seat
so you can have an extra seat in the middle.
Here we have this handy little console
with cup holders and a little storage tray.
Here in the third row of the Sequoia Capstone,
things are a bit more cramped.
I'm six foot one
and this isn't where I would wanna spend time
in a road trip.
But it is decently roomy.
You get cup holders over here,
you have a power reclining seat, which is nice.
And the third row actually slides forward
and backwards up to six inches
so you can have more leg room as you need it.
Not too terrible, not the best.
I feel like the third row
in the older Sequoia was a little bit more roomy
but this still isn't the bad place to be
and not the smallest third row in the class.
The third row is also available
with power folding that you can control
from the rear cargo area to help you with storage.
And it's worth noting
that the second row seats actually fold and tilt forward
providing better access than in the old Sequoia.
It's a little bit hard to climb into right now
without the power running boards
but access is still better than it was.
And one more innovative feature in the Sequoia
is this new tiered shelving system
for the cargo area.
You have multiple positions from down on the floor
to all the way up to this level.
It'll help you divide your cargo items a little bit better
and make things a little bit easier
for you when you're transporting goods.
With the caveat that this is a prototype model,
I have to say the Toyota Sequoia Capstone interior
is pretty impressive and competitive with the class
if not necessarily surpassing it.
As for the rest of the Sequoia's improvements
and what that'll do to its
on and off offroad driving abilities?
We'll have to wait a little bit longer.
We'll also have to wait a little bit longer
for pricing and fuel economy data
which should come closer to its on sale date this summer.
For more on the 2023 Toyota Sequoia
and the rest of the Chicago Auto Show.
Be sure to check out Cars.com.