Giant ‘09 Toyota Sequoia Sprouts in LA
Sequoia Photos
If proof was ever needed that the full-size sport utility segment is alive and
well, look no further than at this year’s LA auto show, where Toyota has just unveiled the second generation of its Sequoia sport utility vehicle. This full-size family-hauler is essentially the SUV version of the Tundra pickup truck, and is designed to go after the same crowd that might buy a Chevrolet Tahoe (or Suburban), Ford’s Expedition, Nissan’s Armada or Dodge’s Durango at a push. It’s the sort of vehicle that folks buy when they know they’ve got a lot of people, a lot of stuff and a lot of weight to haul around, all at the same time.
There’s no hiding the relationship between the Sequoia and the Tundra; the two look very alike from the front. For a sport utility vehicle, the Sequoia looks downright mean with its upturned trapezoidal grille that dominates the nose, and blockish headlamps that reside next to it. It’s not quite a Tundra clone, as Toyota has done some work to incorporate styling cues from some of its smaller vehicles like the Highlander and RAV4, evidenced in the shape of the windows and the taillights. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are standard on the entry level Sequoia, but the rims are upsized to 20-inchers on the higher-trim model.
Being the biggest, the Sequoia also happens to be the most powerful sport utility vehicle the brand offers. Despite having the same 4.7-liter i-Force V8 engine, it outclasses the 4Runner with 276 horsepower, while the mighty 5.7-liter i-Force V8, with its 381-horsepower, 401 lb-ft of torque and variable valve timing, made famous by doing duty in the top line Tundra, is available as an option. Mated to a six-speed automatic, it gives the Sequoia
class-leading towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. To ensure ride comfort, Toyota has swapped out the Tundra’s rugged heavy-duty leaf-spring suspension for a more supple system that is fully independent front and rear. Meanwhile, considerable effort was put into making the Sequoia as maneuverable as possible; it has a 19-foot turning circle which is the tightest in its class.
Inside the Sequoia’s cabin shows a distinct likeness to the Tundra, with its wide, two-tone center console, but it features a new steering wheel. It’s also more lavishly equipped with available goodies like a navigation system, rear-screen DVD entertainment system, reverse camera, laser-assisted cruise control, Bluetooth handsfree connectivity and a JBL 660-watt 14-speaker sound system. An active air suspension is available at extra cost. The Sequoia is standard as an eight seater, though it can be with second row captain’s chairs; the third row can be folded flat into the floor for extra cargo space.
Not everyone in LA was happy with the introduction of the roomy Sequoia,
however. A small crowd of protesters from the Rainforest Action Network,
gathered outside of the show in an attempt to let Toyota know they weren’t in agreement with the Japanese automaker building the new full-size SUV and were against its inclusion in the lawsuit against California, which is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish tougher fuel economy regulations; the activists held up up a large sign that read “Toyota Driving Global Warming One Lawsuit at a Time”. Activist Brent Olson even used fake ID to gain access to the show, making the mistake of impersonating popular smart car president Dave Schembri. With a video camera poised he approached Toyota’s astute general manager for U.S. sales, Bob Carter, and asked why the Japanese company wouldn’t remove itself from the EPA lawsuit. Reportedly, Carter refused to comment, and when noticing the man was impersonating Schembri appeared to get angry, stating that the man was not who he claimed to be and knocked the camera out of the environmentalist’s hands. Olson, of the Rainforest Action Network, was eventually led away by two LA police officers who let the man go when outside of the convention center. No doubt the LA auto show needs to heighten security into the media-only event, as last year a similar stunt put environmentalists on-stage with GM CEO Rick Wagoner.
While this year GM was introducing its full-size hybrid lineup, including the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, which won the Green Vehicle of the year award the following day, plus the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid and Chevy Silverado Hybrid, Toyota, even with this full-size SUV introduction that doesn’t include a hybrid variant, seems an odd target for environmentalists who previously challenged Ford for building too many large trucks and SUVs. Ford was not recognized by this same Rainforest Action Network for its environmental efforts in bringing CNG, electric and hybrid models to market, just like the protesters didn’t take the opportunity to point out Toyota’s green leadership within the automotive sector. Without doubt a more well-rounded, fairer approach would help environmentalists appeal to mainstream consumers, who more often than not ignore such radical antics.
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