Next-gen Toyota Sequoia likely teased in shadowy image
We don't know exactly what this is, but given that the Tundra was just overhauled, it's a good bet this is the Sequoia.
It appears Toyota is hard at work on some sort of new SUV. On Tuesday, the automaker tweeted out a mysterious image of a future utility vehicle, a shadowy picture that was also posted on its media site. For now, it's unclear exactly what we're looking at, but it's a good bet this is our first glimpse of a redesigned Sequoia.
Giving credence to this assumption, adjusting the brightness and contrast of the teaser revealed a hidden message in the darkness. "All-new debut: The forest, and its trees, almost in view," is hiding in plain sight.
The current generation of this large, three-row SUV has been around for quite a while, about 15 years, which in automotive terms means it's an absolute dinosaur. Not terribly competitive with newer rivals like the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition, the Sequoia is desperately in need of a redesign. For this reason, it's a good bet that's exactly what's happening, if not for 2022 then likely within a year or two. Roadshow reached out to Toyota for comment on all this, but we didn't hear back before publishing this story.
Toyota's having a little fun with this vehicle reveal.
The Sequoia is based on the Toyota Tundra full-size pickup, which was just redesigned for 2022. This tough truck is miles ahead of its predecessor and features plenty of new technology including an available 14-inch touchscreen, a multilink rear suspension and loads of standard driver aids like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.
Under the hood, that new Tundra has lost its burly-sounding 5.7-liter V8, which has been replaced by a twin-turbo V6 that delivers up to 479 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque in hybrid guise. Expect the next-generation Sequoia to feature much of the same hardware as this truck.
As for Toyota's enigmatic teaser image, there's not much we can glean from it. Clearly, the vehicle in question is an SUV, one dressed in a fetching red paint job, but that's about all we can make out. There's a pronounced crease in the rear fender that flows down and curves in front of the rear door handle, the side glass is also highlighted by some bright trim that hooks upward at the D-pillar and the taillights are similar to what you find on the smaller Highlander SUV.
So far, the automaker hasn't commented on exactly what this vehicle is or when it might be revealed. "Something big is coming to the Toyota SUV lineup. A clear picture will come into view soon. Stay tuned," is all Toyota has shared so far.
