New Sequoia stands tall

What you’re seeing here is the all-new 2023 Sequoia, which replaces the previous Sequoia after 15 years on the market. That’s pretty close to 3,000 in SUV years. Before anyone started suggesting cutting one open, counting the rings and using radiocarbon dating, Toyota has ushered out the old and ushered in the new – built on the same platform as the new-for-2022 Toyota Tundra pickup truck and the Lexus LX 600 luxury SUV.

At its heart is not only a modern powerplant, but a modern hybrid powerplant, replacing the 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 in the last-generation Sequoia. This is the

i-FORCE MAX twin-turbo V6 paired with an electric motor featuring a total system output of 437 horsepower and making 583 pound-feet of torque compared to the old one’s 401. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission – double the number of gears in the old

Sequoia.

It’s also seriously quick: 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

A combination of V6 versus V8, hybrid versus not and 10 gears versus five produces a much-improved Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy estimate. The old one: 13 mpg city/17 highway. The new one: 19 city/22 highway. But, as they say, your mileage may vary. After 201 miles of city street, urban freeway and rural highway driving (only approximately a half-mile of it on freshly graded snow, the rest on dry pavement in 2WD), I only saw 16.4 mpg.

The more upright, squared-off proportions of the new Sequoia result in real and perceived additional room – it feels huge

inside.

Well-equipped model

The new Tundras start at just a shade under $60,000 (destination included). The top-of-the-line AWD Capstone starts at $79,895. You get a lot for that money: Toyota’s comprehensive Safety Sense 2.5 suite of driver-assistance safety features, 22-inch dark chrome alloy wheels, power running boards, auto-leveling LED headlights, sequential turn signals, power panoramic roof, 14-inch touchscreen audio and navigation system with JBL premium audio system, three-zone climate control and power liftgate, among other items.

The good news is that the Capstone is so well-equipped that there’s not much nickel-and-diming to be done (there are power tow mirrors and rear air suspension packages available separately or combined). Our test vehicle had two extra-cost options: $499 for the dash cam and $87 for the trailer hitch ball mount. That put the as-tested price at $80,481.

That bottom line may be a breathtaking number if you haven’t shopped loaded full-size SUVs in a while, but it’s absolutely in line with what a top-trim Tahoe, Expedition or Wagoneer costs. And there are a lot of elements of this new Sequoia that I find more appealing than the competition. Just don’t start fantasizing about setting mileage records, because it’s a hybrid.

Mike Hagerty, vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews on his website (MikeHagertyCars.com) and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/mikehagertycars).