The 2023 Toyota Sequoia May Be Better than the New Land Cruiser

Plus, you won’t have to wait four years for one.

Published May 27, 2022

Last fall — after leaving its successor around to the point of being rather stale — Toyota finally unveiled the all-new Tundra full-size pickup. Now, we’re getting its SUV counterpart: the all-new 2023 Sequoia. With the Land Cruiser no longer sold on American soil, the Sequoia is currently the only full-size Toyota-branded SUV on offer.

The Sequoia won’t have that coveted Land Cruiser name, and it will be built in America rather than Japan. But it will run on the same platform as the J300-gen Land Crusher. On paper, the Sequoia package looks compelling enough that Toyota truck enthusiasts will be more than satisfied. And it probably won’t have a four-year wait, either.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia gets a twin-turbo hybrid engine…standard

We knew the Sequoia would use the same TNGA-F truck platform as the Tundra, and ditch the trusty but inefficient 5.7-liter V8. We presumed the Sequoia would receive the new iForce Max twin-turbo 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid with 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. But, surprisingly, that hybrid — the upgrade option on the Tundra — is the only Sequoia engine at launch.

Like the Tundra, that engine pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can choose between two-wheel drive and part-time four-wheel drive Sequoias. The TRD Pro trim will be 4×4 only.

Wait, hold up: Toyota’s full-size SUV has a better engine than the Lexus LX?

Incredibly, yes. Lexus just debuted the swanky new LX 600, a J300 Land Cruiser wearing formal wear. That vehicle only offers the strictly internal combustion version of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. So, oddly enough, the less-premium Sequoia now has a better engine.

The Sequoia comes in five trims, plus a TRD Off-Road package

Toyota offers the Sequoia in five grades: SR5, Limited, Platinum, the new high-lux Capstone and the off-road high-performance TRD Pro. SR5 and Limited grade SUVs can be fitted with the TRD Off-Road package, including a selectable locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select, Downhill Assist Control, Crawl Control, and TRD-tuned Bilstein monotube shocks and 18-inch alloy wheels.

TRD Pro adds those goodies from the TRD Off-Road with a skid plate and upgrades to FOX internal bypass shocks. Capstone will be similar to the Tundra with exclusive black and white leather seating, open-pore wood and 22-inch chrome wheels.

The 2023 Sequoia has a flexible third row

Many SUVs claim to have third-row flexibility, but the Sequoia offers a flexible third row. The seats will fold flat, recline and travel six inches forward to backward as needed. The seats also work in tandem with a new, adjustable cargo shelf system, which is also removable if so inclined.

The Toyota Sequoia will be one of the best SUVs for towing you can buy

With the iForce Max hybrid, the Toyota Sequoia can tow up to 9,000 lbs. That places the Sequoia just short of the Ford Expedition for best towing SUV, but ahead of vehicles like the Dodge Durango and Lincoln Navigator.

The Sequoia can come with a 14.0-inch touchscreen

The new Sequoia uses the new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system (essentially Lexus Interface with a less fancy name). Sequoia buyers can upgrade to the new 14.0-inch touchscreen.