The 2021 Toyota Sequoia was a full-size, body-on-frame SUV and, in 2021, the second-largest vehicle Toyota sold in North America after the Land Cruiser. There was no 2021 redesign: the Sequoia that went on sale for the 2021 model year was a carried-over example of the second-generation XK60 series, which had been in production since November 2007. Toyota gave the Sequoia a genuine redesign only for the 2023 model year, when the third-generation XK80 arrived on a new truck platform. Buyers looking for a new Sequoia in 2021 were choosing a long-running model, not a new one, and that is the correct context for its engine, dimensions and pricing.
What the 2021 Sequoia Was
The Sequoia is derived from the Toyota Tundra pickup and has been sold mainly in North America since it arrived for the 2001 model year. The second-generation XK60 shared its platform with the Tundra XK50 and was related to the Land Cruiser J200 and Lexus LX of the same era. Toyota built it at its Princeton, Indiana plant, and the XK60 ran from November 2007 until March 2022, covering the 2008 through 2022 model years. It seated up to eight people and used an independent rear suspension, which was unusual in the class when it was introduced and gave the Sequoia a smoother ride than many body-on-frame rivals.
The model is named after the giant sequoia, the tall redwood native to California. The first-generation Sequoia, sold from 2001 to 2007, used a 4.7-liter V8; the second generation moved to a larger V8 that remained in place for fourteen years.
The Redesign Question
The “2021 redesign” idea does not match the record. Toyota did not replace the Sequoia for 2021; the XK60 carried on with cosmetic and equipment changes. The redesign came for 2023, when Toyota introduced the XK80 on the TNGA-F platform shared with the new Tundra and Land Cruiser. That 2023 model switched from the V8 to a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 hybrid badged i-Force Max, rated at a combined 437 horsepower and paired with a ten-speed automatic. In other words, the big change arrived two model years after the 2021 car, and the 2021 Sequoia is best treated as the final phase of the second generation.
Interior, Seating and Cargo
The 2021 Sequoia offered seating for up to eight, dropping to seven in the TRD Sport, TRD Pro, Platinum and the new Nightshade Edition, which used second-row captain’s chairs or a specific seat configuration. Toyota quoted 40.9 inches of second-row legroom and 35.3 inches in the third row. With the third-row seat in use, there was 66.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row; folding the third row flat opened up 120.1 cubic feet. The liftgate included a separate power rear window with auto up/down and jam protection.
Multimedia ran through a seven-inch touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility, plus SiriusXM satellite radio. The Limited added a twelve-speaker premium audio system with navigation, while the TRD Pro and Platinum stepped up to a fourteen-speaker JBL system.
Exterior and the 2021 Nightshade Edition
For 2021 Toyota added a Nightshade Special Edition, a limited-run package built on the more luxurious Limited grade rather than the sporty SE grades used for most Toyota Nightshade models. It brought a darkened chrome grille, lower grille surround, body-side moldings, fog-light surrounds and Sequoia badges, along with black mirror caps, door handles and twenty-inch black split-spoke alloy wheels. Buyers could choose Midnight Black Metallic, Magnetic Gray Metallic or Blizzard Pearl paint, and black leather-trimmed seating was standard.
The other 2021 exterior change was on the TRD Pro, which gained a new Lunar Rock color in place of Army Green. The TRD Pro also came with black BBS forged aluminum wheels, a TRD roof rack, cast aluminum running boards, Rigid Industries LED fog lights and a TRD front skid plate.
Engine and Drivetrain
Every 2021 Sequoia used the same drivetrain, and Toyota confirmed the key figures in its press materials and the model’s published specifications:
- Engine: 5.7-liter i-Force V8 (3UR-FE), dual overhead cam, variable valve timing
- Power: 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm; 401 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm
- Transmission: six-speed electronically controlled automatic
- Drive: rear-wheel drive standard, with Multi-Mode four-wheel drive optional except on the TRD Pro, where it was standard
- Fuel: regular-grade (87 AKI) gasoline
- Towing: up to 7,400 lb; the TRD Pro was rated at 7,100 lb to the SAE J2807 standard
The V8 developed 90 percent of its peak torque at just 2,200 rpm, which is why Toyota paired it with a Tow/Haul transmission mode and Trailer Sway Control. EPA fuel economy was 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. The available four-wheel-drive system used a lockable TORSEN limited-slip center differential and a two-speed transfer case with a low range.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2021 Sequoia reached dealers in late 2020. Prices before destination charges started at $50,100 for the two-wheel-drive SR5 and $53,325 for the four-wheel-drive version, according to the figures Toyota released in August 2020. The TRD Sport was $52,815 in two-wheel drive and $56,040 with four-wheel drive; the Limited was $59,120 and $62,345; the Nightshade Edition was $60,120; the Platinum was $66,150 and $69,375; and the TRD Pro, four-wheel drive only, was $64,225.
Every grade included Toyota Safety Sense P as standard, bundling a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with sway warning, dynamic radar cruise control and automatic high beams. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. Toyota sold 8,070 Sequoias in the United States in 2021.
Related Toyota reviews on this site: 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Engine Performance and Release, 2020 Toyota Avensis Interior Review, and Car Review.
