by Anthony Fongaro - Photos by Toyota- 04/19/2024
When TRD is combined with a Toyota SUV, the result is an off-road-focused SUV. In this case, we have Toyota’s largest SUV, the Sequoia. In TRD Pro trim, this large, three-row SUV can go anywhere. Toyota gave the Sequoia an i-FORCE MAX Hybrid engine with a lot of power, which compliments the SUV’s off-roading credentials. The Sequoia tries to combine luxury and off-roading prowess to justify a nearly $80,000 base price. Is this the trim level to choose, especially if you don’t take your family SUV off-road?
When I first drove the redesigned Sequoia, it was the top-of-the-line Capstone trim. In TRD Pro, the Sequoia trades some chrome for black cladding, mirrors, and a black grille. This is an excellent and squat-looking SUV with the Heritage Toyota grille and Toyota spelled out. There are plenty of TRD badges everywhere, from the hood to the tailpipes. Painted in Terra and paired with both a $1,400 roof rack and 18-inch BBS wheels, the Sequoia looks cool and ready to go off-roading. At the rear, Sequoia is spelled out in black, and TRD Pro vehicles include a TRD aluminum skid plate. An extensive $500 panoramic roof lets in plenty of light.
If you forget this is a TRD Pro don’t fret, there are TRD badges on the door sills, steering wheel, seats, and floor mats. The driver gets a heated steering wheel with functions for the digital cluster and adaptive cruise control. There isn’t a lot of customization for the dials, but there is a dial for turbo boost and the hybrid system. A large 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Under the touchscreen are physical buttons for climate control and intuitive to use. This Sequoia TRD Pro came with a black interior with red stripes on the steering wheel and shifter and the seats have a checkered pattern. Heated and ventilated front seats come standard and they are comfortable. Second and third-row passengers have a decent amount of room, but there isn’t a lot of room behind the third row. TRD Pro vehicles come with a JBL 14-speaker sound system and it works quite well with enough bass and treble.
Powering the Sequoia TRD Pro is a twin-turbo hybrid V6 producing 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet-of-torque. With a 10-speed automatic and four-wheel-drive, the Sequoia TRD Pro accelerates from 0-60 MPH in 5.6 seconds. That is plenty quick, especially for a vehicle this heavy. For something this heavy and off-road focused, I found the brakes weren’t as strong as I’d like. Handling is a little rolly-polly, and the ride is a little harsh over bumps. Sport, Normal, and Eco are the three drive modes, and the powertrain feels good within all three. The roof rack looks cool but it is quite loud during highway driving.
_websize.jpg)
