The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size, body-on-frame SUV that Toyota has sold mainly in North America since the 2001 model year. For 2019, however, there was no all-new Sequoia: the 2019 model was a carryover of the second-generation (XK60) SUV that had been introduced for the 2008 model year. A genuinely new generation did not appear until the 2023 model year, which arrived with an entirely different hybrid powertrain.
Model History
The Sequoia shares its basic engineering with the Toyota Tundra pickup and is built in the United States. Its generations are straightforward:
- First generation (XK30/XK40) — model years 2001–2007
- Second generation (XK60) — produced November 2007 to March 2022, model years 2008–2022
- Third generation (XK80) — production from September 2022, model years 2023 onward
The second-generation Sequoia was unveiled at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show and went on sale that December. It was based on the second-generation Tundra but used a fully boxed frame and a rear independent suspension with double wishbones and coil springs, along with a locking center differential on four-wheel-drive models. That same XK60 generation was still the current model in 2019, which is why the 2019 Sequoia carried no new platform or engine.
Engine and Drivetrain
By 2019 the Sequoia offered a single engine, the 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V8, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Drive could be sent to the rear wheels or to all four wheels. A smaller 4.6-liter 1UR-FE V8 rated at 310 horsepower was offered from 2010 to 2012 but had been dropped well before 2019. A flex-fuel version of the 5.7-liter V8, coded 3UR-FBE, was also offered in some states from the 2009 model year, allowing the SUV to run on E85 ethanol blends.
| 2019 Sequoia | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V8 |
| Power | 381 hp at 5,600 rpm |
| Torque | 401 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Drive | Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Maximum towing | 7,400 lb (5.7L 2WD SR5) |
Fuel Economy
Figures published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the 2019 Sequoia are 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway and 15 mpg combined for rear-wheel-drive models, and 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway and 14 mpg combined for four-wheel-drive models. These are low figures even for the full-size SUV class, which is a consequence of the large V8 and the vehicle’s roughly 5,700-pound curb weight.
Trims and Pricing
The 2019 Sequoia was offered in SR5, Limited and Platinum trims, and Toyota added a TRD Sport grade for 2019 that brought sportier suspension tuning and appearance details. Seating was for seven or eight passengers, depending on trim. Toyota quoted a starting MSRP of about $49,050 for the SR5 and roughly $52,620 for the TRD Sport. Cargo space ranged from 18.9 cubic feet behind the third row to 120.1 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. On the Limited and Platinum trims, buyers could add a navigation system, a rear-seat entertainment system and seven-passenger seating with second-row captain’s chairs, while the Platinum trim included a rear air suspension that could lower for easier loading.
What Actually Came Next
Long before 2019, buyers and the automotive press were expecting a redesigned Sequoia, and that expectation is behind much of the “rumor” coverage of the period. The reality is that the second generation ran for 14 model years. Its replacement, the third-generation XK80, finally arrived for 2023 with a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid system marketed as i-Force Max, a combined 437 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission — a completely different powertrain from the 5.7-liter V8.
For buyers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you want a new Sequoia, the 2019 model is the final stretch of the long-running second generation, and any car advertised as an all-new 2019 Sequoia is mislabeled. The genuinely redesigned SUV is the 2023 model.
Platform and Chassis
The second-generation Sequoia rode on Toyota’s F1 platform, shared with the Tundra (XK50), the Land Cruiser (J200) and the Lexus LX (J200). It used body-on-frame construction with a fully boxed frame — Toyota stated the frame was 70 percent more resistant to bending flex than the previous model, with torsional rigidity up 30 percent — and a rear independent suspension with double wishbones and coil springs. Towing capacity was listed at 7,400 lb with the 5.7-liter V8 in rear-wheel-drive SR5 form and 7,100 lb in four-wheel-drive SR5 form. The independent rear suspension helped give the large SUV a turning radius of about 19 feet and allowed a fold-flat rear seat.
Interior and Features
The XK60 Sequoia offered three rows of seats for seven or eight passengers. Standard equipment across the range included a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, power windows and door locks, dual sun visors and keyless entry, while higher trims added power-folding 60/40 split third-row seats, heated and ventilated front seats and a rear-seat entertainment system. By the 2012 model year Toyota’s Entune infotainment system was standard on the SR5, and the 2018 refresh that carried into 2019 brought new standard LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights.
Safety Equipment
Standard safety features included Vehicle Stability Control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, front side torso airbags and roll-sensing side curtain airbags for all three rows. Knee airbags for the driver and front passenger were added as standard for the 2010 model year. The Sequoia has not been re-tested by NHTSA for many of the second-generation’s later model years, so up-to-date crash-test scores for a 2019 example can be hard to find.
