Twelve years into production, the Toyota Sequoia is starting to live up to its name. After all, the towering redwood trees aren’t exactly known for impermanence, with some sub-species carrying the weighty label of “living fossil.”
Much like its namesake, the Toyota Sequoia endures year after year. Sales remain steady, as most buyers value the Sequoia’s incredible reliability, body-on-frame construction and towing ability, and rugged off-road capability. For those focused on the latter trait, there’s good news on that front for 2020, as the Sequoia joins the popular TRD Pro lineup. It offers buyers even more trail-bashing robustness right out of the box.
Much like the other TRD Pros—Tacoma, 4Runner, and Tundra—the package has a complete suspension package from Fox. Up front, the 2.5-inch internal-bypass shocks pack seven compression zones and two rebound zones, increasing rebound travel by 0.7 inch. Around back, the 2.0-inch shocks feature pistons that are 0.6 inch larger than stock. There’s also a substantial TRD front skid plate to protect both the suspension pieces and the oil pan from errant boulders and wildlife that might get caught under the gargantuan front end.
Even if it won’t fit on all your favorite trails, the Sequoia does fit visually with the rest of the TRD Pro family. There’s a trim-specific grille, LED headlights, and Rigid Industries LED fog lights. The signature 18-inch BBS TRD wheels are standard with 275-width all-terrain tires. Running boards and a roof rack are standard. as well. Inside, you can’t miss the TRD Pro insignia stitched into the headrests and floor mats.
There’s nothing new under the hood, with the same 5.7-liter naturally-aspirated V-8 found in the rest of the lineup. The 381 horsepower on tap isn’t the strongest in the segment, but it’s reasonably torquey, with 401 lb-ft. The standard six-speed automatic transmission manages this thrust, sending it to all four wheels through Toyota’s Multi-Mode 4WD system with locking center differential. If you want to bring your toys to inhospitable places, the Sequoia will happily tow 7,100 pounds.
Toyota also updated the rest of the TRD Pro family, just in case the new Sequoia is too big or thirsty for your needs. Now, all four TRD Pros arrive with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay/Amazon Alexa integration, accessed through an 8.0-inch touchscreen—with the exception of the Sequoia, which offers only a 7.0-inch screen. Both the Tundra and Sequoia TRD Pro feature premium JBL audio, the 4Runner adds two extra USB ports in the rear seat area, and the Tundra and 4Runner get keyless entry and ignition for 2020.
The Tacoma TRD Pro wears updated LED head- and foglamps, contrasting with black-insert taillamps and a different wheel design. There’s a new 10-way power adjustable seat on the driver’s side, along with smart-key functionality. More important, the Tacoma TRD Pro now has a panoramic camera and Multi-Terrain Monitor, offering passengers views to the front, side, or rear, as well as under the truck, so you can watch your driveline get mangled in real-time. For more on the 2020 Tacoma—the entire lineup has been refreshed—head here.
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