The third-generation 2023 Toyota Sequoia is a full-size, 3-row SUV based on the same body-on-frame platform as the Toyota Tundra pickup truck and Lexus LX 600 luxury SUV.
Toyota offers the 2023 Sequoia in SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Capstone trim levels. A gas-electric hybrid powertrain is standard in all Sequoias, offering more torque than rivals while returning what Toyota says will be substantially better fuel economy. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is an option in SR5, Limited, and Platinum versions and comes standard with the TRD Pro and Capstone.
From the front doors forward, the new 2023 Toyota Sequoia is nearly identical to the recently redesigned Tundra pickup truck. From the rear doors back, it's an entirely different and not nearly as controversial a story. Here, the new 2023 Sequoia displays a conservative look with Lexus's familiar design cues and overtones.
Toyota visually distinguishes each version of the Sequoia through grille design, exterior trim treatments, wheel designs, and lighting differences. Depending on the trim level, the Sequoia offers 18-inch, 20-inch, or 22-inch tires. New for 2023, the Sequoia is available with optional power-folding, extending, and retracting tow mirrors.
The new Sequoia Capstone is a luxury version of the SUV. It has the exclusive 22-inch wheels, paired with lots of shiny chrome and a set of standard power running boards to make it easier to climb in and out of the vehicle.
Paint colors for the 2023 Sequoia include
Two premium paint colors are also available at extra cost:
Offering seating for up to eight passengers, the new Toyota Sequoia has three rows of seats. Second-row captain's chairs are optional, as is a power-folding third-row seat. Cloth, simulated SofTex leather, and premium leather are available, depending on the trim level.
The dashboard, door panels, and center console are lifted straight out of the Tundra pickup, and both heated front seats and a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel are standard. As you climb the trim-level ladder, the Sequoia adds heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic glass sunroof, second-row sunshades, and a hands-free power rear liftgate.
Capping the lineup, the Sequoia Capstone has standard white-over-black premium semi-aniline leather of the same quality as what Toyota uses in its Lexus LS flagship luxury sedan. Open-pore American Walnut trim decorates the dashboard, ambient lighting soothes after dark, and acoustic glass for the front doors helps quiet the SUV on the highway. Nearly everything comes standard with Capstone trim.
A new sliding third-row seat and an adjustable cargo shelf system serve as distinguishing features of the 2023 Sequoia. The seat offers six inches of adjustable range, helping to make more legroom or cargo room depending on the situation. Owners can position the adjustable cargo shelf as necessary or remove it when not needed.
Toyota builds the new third-generation Sequoia on the same body-on-frame platform used by the Tundra pickup, the Lexus LX 600 SUV, and the Land Cruiser sold in other parts of the world.
Unlike the Tundra, the Sequoia comes standard with Toyota's new i-Force Max gas-electric hybrid powertrain. It makes class-leading standard power, generating 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. Toyota expects the new Sequoia to return substantially better fuel economy than the old version despite this added muscle.
With SR5, Limited, and Platinum trim, a 10-speed automatic transmission delivers the power to the rear wheels. A part-time 4WD system is optional for these versions of the SUV and standard with TRD Pro and Capstone trim. Drive Mode Select is standard, giving drivers a choice between Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes.
The new 2023 Sequoia uses rack-mounted electric steering to deliver the best possible road feel, and it rides on an independent front and multi-link rear suspension. A load-leveling rear air suspension with an adaptive variable suspension is also available for the Sequoia and further equips the SUV with Comfort, Sport S+, and Custom driving modes.
For the 2023 model year, a TRD Sport package is available with SR5 trim, featuring a sport-tuned suspension and swapping the standard 18-inch wheels for matte-black 20-inch wheels.
With SR5 and Limited trim, a TRD Off-Road package is optional. It features unique 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, TRD-tuned shocks and springs, and a driver-selectable locking rear differential. Several of Toyota's off-road driving technologies are also part of this package, including:
The Sequoia TRD Pro includes all of these features as standard equipment and also has exclusive Fox internal bypass shocks and a front skid plate.
According to Toyota, the new Sequoia will tow up to 9,000 pounds, putting it between rivals from Chevrolet (8,400 lbs) and Ford (9,300 lbs). A Tow Tech package is optional for SR5, Limited, and Platinum trims and standard for the TRD Pro and Capstone. It adds Trailer Backup Guide and Straight Path Assist to make reversing a trailer easier.
Toyota equips every 2023 Sequoia with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5). This collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) includes the usual driver-assistance and collision-avoidance technologies, but a few unusual features come with this package, too.
For example, TSS 2.5 includes pedestrian detection during the day and in low-light driving conditions, cyclist detection during the day, and an Emergency Steering Assist function that adds stability and prevents lane departure when a driver takes sudden action to avoid an obstacle. An intersection turn-assistance system is also a part of TSS 2.5, watching for oncoming vehicles and pedestrians and braking the Sequoia to avoid a collision.
Thanks to adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance systems, the 2023 Sequoia offers a Level 2 semi-autonomous highway driving-assistance system, but it requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel. Other standard safety systems include blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a rear-seat reminder, and front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking.
Toyota equips the new Sequoia with its advanced Toyota Audio Multimedia technology. It is paired with an 8-inch touchscreen display in the base Sequoia SR5, but starting with the SR5 Premium package and higher, a massive 14-inch touchscreen display resides on the dashboard. Through over-the-air updates, Toyota expects to keep the system fresh over time.
In addition to conversational voice recognition, this technology offers simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity for two smartphones, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and connected services including navigation, safety features, Wi-Fi, music streaming, remote engine starting, and more. After complimentary trial periods, each connected service plan requires an extra-cost subscription.
Additional tech-related features include wireless smartphone charging, a digital rear camera mirror, head-up display, surround-view camera, and several camera views related to trailering and off-roading.
With the 2023 Sequoia, Toyota is taking aim at the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, Jeep Wagoneer, and Nissan Armada. Aside from the Wagoneer, a new model for 2022, these are the Sequoia's traditional rivals.
Now, however, Toyota enters the fray with more than just its reputation for quality, dependability, and reliability working in its favor. From its TRD Pro and Capstone trims and standard hybrid powertrain to its impressive available off-roading, trailering, safety, and infotainment technologies, the all-new 2023 Toyota Sequoia should prove a far more formidable adversary in the battle for full-size SUV buyers.
Oh, and it's built in Texas y'all.
Toyota is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of January 25, 2022, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
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