Toyota Sequoia I 2000-2007

The production of the first Toyota Sequoia started in 2000, the chassis, engine and dashboard being derived from the Tundra truck. The grandiose SUV came in two trim levels, SR5 and Limited, and came with both two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The first generation proved to be interesting to say the least, being nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award in 2001.

The exterior design was specific to a typical American SUV, tall silhouette, large grille and headlights, complemented by a flat roof with rails on top. The back had an interesting look due to the dark glass panel that creates the impression of a glass back.

Inside, Sequoia is very spacious, offering seats in three rows for 8 passengers. As I said, the dashboard and instrument cluster is similar to the Tundra, with many buttons and fairly simple elements.

Under the hood, Sequoia hides a 4.7-liter i-Force V8 engine, which develops 240 horsepower.

Toyota Sequoia I Facelift 2005-2007

In 2005, Toyota refreshed the Sequoia with a new front grille and new taillights. The improvements have been brought up under the hood, where Toyota has introduced a new engine equipped with VVT-i that produces 282 horses, but also a 5-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous 4-speed.

Toyota Sequoia II 2007-2022

The second generation Sequoia was introduced in 2007, and is again based on the latest Tundra platform. The new generation promised to be better, offering a new look, greater efficiency and performance.

The 2008 Sequoia was available in three trims: SR5, Limited, and Platinum. The exterior improvements made it look more muscular than the previous generation, an aspect highlighted by the larger trapezoidal grille, the rather small headlights for an SUV and the prominent lines on the hood.

Inside, Sequoia again offers a lot of space for passengers. The biggest change was brought to the dashboard, where the driver’s area is very well defined. Everything is arranged much better, and the new infotainment system placed on the central stack could be controlled both through its buttons and through the controls on the steering wheel.

At the same time, another major change was the addition of a second 5.7-liter V8 engine that produced 381 horsepower, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Sequoia II Facelift 2017-2022

When everyone was waiting for the third generation Sequoia, Toyota introduced after 10 years, a refreshed version. It came with long-awaited features such as standard LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights and three new exterior colors: Midnight Black Metallic, Shoreline Blue Pearl and Toasted Walnut Pearl, but also new extended trim levels and new safety features such as be automatic emergency braking.

Toyota Sequoia III 2023-Present

After 15 years since the second generation, Toyota introduced an all-new Sequoia in 2022, built on a new GA-F platform, which it shares with the Tundra. The new Toyota Sequoia is available in 5 variants: SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro and Capstone. The exterior design is downright spectacular and represents a true evolution from the first model.

It has an imposing appearance thanks to the silhouette and the massive grille in front, but also the LED headlights that extend to the side. From the side, the black A-pillar gives the car a dynamic look, and the rear gets its own identity with the LED lights, chrome elements, trunk spoiler and Sequoia lettering at the bottom.

As we are used to, inside we find enough space for 8 passengers. We also find a fully technological board, with ambient lights and a 14-inch screen on the central stack.

The i-Force Max hybrid system is standard under the hood of the new Toyota Sequoia and consists of a combination of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 unit and an electric motor, producing a total of 443 horsepower, coupled to an automatic transmission with 10 steps.