Grand Highlander. AKA Sequoia killer.

Thats almost as much room as my GX with the 3rd row down

With the 3rd row up I could maybe fit an umbrella behind the seats.

 

So can a town car. What's your point?

 

Owww, and a town car is body on frame and can tow! It just needs 4WD and we can just write the Sequoia off now.

No joke, my uncle had a Grand Marquis with a 5.0L and rear air suspension and would regularly tow boats with it.

 

Less than 1 body = zero bodies. Zero bodies = zero space. Good maths...

 

Bonus points if it was a Marauder...

 

This was pre-Maurader but those are wickedly cool.

 

90% of pickup truck buyers don't use them for anything except soccer practice runs and they still sell like hotcakes.

 

Reported for calling me out

 

Agree'd and yet the Sequoia didnt even when it was a good FS suv.

 

At 1500 lbs towing capacity, I'm surprised the Internet Weight Police haven't flagged this post. Might have to continue the conversation in hushed tones...

 

...and for a recent Valentine's Day dinner date. I got lucky there was a parking garage in the cities with a 7' clearance.

 

I didn’t articulate it very well, but I was actually referring to the Grand Highlander as just another SUV model.

Sequoia has always been in a weird spot, in the LC shadow and only a NA offering. Add in the 4 Runner and GX and it’s the black sheep of the family. And now this Grand Highlander comes along.

I think Toyota could help themselves by offering a base SR5 model with no hybrid in the low 50’s and they would sell way more.

All that said, I still think the new Sequoia would be a killer touring machine.

 

I agree.

Ford could easily have made the expedition hybrid at this point, seeing as they have had the F150 Powerboost out for 3 years now but have decided not to for some reason, and its probably a good one.

 

Well said.

Is odd to me that Toyota chose the LX600 to be non-hybrid only, and get fold flat 2nd / 3rd row storage. Odd choice in the full size luxury market.

But then with the Sequoia to be hybrid only, and lose the storage. Another odd choice for a full size non-luxury market.

Seems backward to me, but what do I know.

 

In the land cruiser thread a few down, someone said something about the full-time transfer case not fitting with the longer hybrid transmission/motor assmembly

 

I do not have any measurements but these images tell a story. The third row appears to lie flat, the second row has a slight angle and a hole due to the captain chairs. Images from a Toyota site.

 

I think that second row is a bench. But they certainly don’t lay flat, like the third row in my ‘19. Only thing I don’t like about it.

 

Check out their website.

 

I think like the normal highlander you will be able to choose bench or captain seat for second row. Either way, it would be cool if they fold all the way flat. The matrix I used to have the front passenger seat would fold flat too.

 

Not if they keep the same design behind the 1st row. Can add length but can't add efficient cargo volume with the hybrid hump and SRA.

 

Couldn’t they, though? I don’t know how the 2nd row design has changed from gen 2 to gen 3, but I would think they could move the battery further back into the cargo area if needed to make the third row and battery work well. Think about the load height of the gen2 rear cargo area compared to the floor height of 3rd row; the cargo load height is elevated several inches which is why you get those little cubbies in the floor in the back. Perhaps they could move the batteries further back to the cargo area and just increase the cargo area load height like the gen2.

Also, all long wheelbase suburbans had a live rear axle until the very latest iteration. The floor height was increased for the 3rd row on older generations but then dropped enough that only the seat was elevated over the rear axle but the floor height remained the same or close to it.

Just musing over the possibilities.

 

Moving the battery pack further to the rear would add 400lbs to the rear axle instead of the center location. IMO, a goofy decision to make the 2023 hybrid only.

TRD Jon will get some reviews out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKPL639wFFo

Engine Adventures guy has been testing the 2023 Sequoia Pro in a Colorado winter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRYDSy6PxHo

My pals at souldog.org decided the 2019 Sequoia has been so good for yearround travel over the Divide and to points beyond a second 2019 in the fleet was the way to go.

 

That and possibly 583ft-lb torque. The LC300 diesel has 516ft-lb torque, though.