Toyota Teases Next Sequoia

It’s one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets that a new Toyota Sequoia is on the way within twelve months or so, likely sharing much with the just-released Tundra pickup truck. The company has now shared a typically shadowy teaser image of the upcoming rig, one which may not be as slab-sided as its forebear.

Actually, we assume it’s the Sequoia since Toyota doesn’t specify the vehicle in this image as that particular model. However, it isn’t rocket surgery to read between the lines of ‘something big’ and ‘SUV lineup’ to parse the presence of the brand’s largest rig in this class. A pronounced character line cleaves through the rear quarter panel, digging into the rear door above that portal’s handle before making a dramatic drop toward terra firma. There appears to be a decent amount of family resemblance in what we can see of its taillamps, what with their narrowed profile and forward-reaching tentacles.

Other than that, we can confirm the next Sequoia will have door handles and a bit of chrome trim around its windows. Big changes seem to be on their way in terms of its side profile, with the existing model having a thick color-keyed C-pillar. Here, it appears the back passenger doors will abut the newly-shaped rear quarter windows, removing a bit of visual heft. Those windows also bear a new shape, kicking toward the tailgate like a hockey stick instead of resembling a parallelogram or rhombus (didn’t think you’d need to know geometry to read TTAC, didja?).

We’re left guessing as to what’s under the hood, but it’s a fair assumption that we’ll find at least one variant of the Tacoma’s V6 when this thing shows up later in 2022. Whether it will provide the hybridized option of 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of twist remains to be seen. In case you’ve forgotten, the non-hybrid twin-turbo in a 2022 Tundra is good for 389 horses and 479 lb-ft of torque. At present, Sequoia makes do with 381 ponies and 401 lb-ft from its 5.7L V8 mill.

Through the end of December 2021, Toyota managed to find homes for just over 8,000 new Sequoia SUVs, marking a small jump from the weird year that was 2020. Amongst its brand family, it outsells the Supra … and that’s about it, representing less than one-half of one percent of Toyota brand sales in this country. Sales held steady at about 12,000 units per annum for a decade before dropping off a cliff in 2020.

[Image: Toyota]