A major concern regarding full-size pickups and utility vehicles is their fossil-fuel consumption. The third-generation eight-passenger Sequoia, which arrives for 2023, addresses this with a hybrid powertrain as standard. The system consists of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 along with an electric motor that’s part of the Sequoia’s 10-speed automatic transmission. Output is rated at 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, compared with the previous 5.7-liter V-8 and its 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet. The new Sequoia’s fuel economy has been estimated at 22 mpg in combined city-highway driving, besting the V-8’s 15-mpg rating by nearly 50 percent. The added torque also contributes to the Sequoia’s 9,000-pound tow rating (the 2022 model was rated at 7,300 pounds). The tougher-looking Sequoia is expected to go on sale this summer.
The Toyota Sequoia sheds its fuelish ways with a standard hybrid system that couples a turbocharged V-6 engine to an electric motor. The combined city/highway fuel-economy rating improves by nearly 50 percent. PHOTO: TOYOTA