It's Tundra time at last, Australia! Toyota's mega hybrid ute with 326kW and 4.5-tonne towing arrives to put the hurt on the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 as full lease costs and specification details confirmed
Toyota’s long-awaited right-hand-drive Tundra has finished its Walkinshaw-led remanufacturing program, with the US-built pick-up truck now being delivered to customers in Australia.
And by customers, we mean the fortunate few. Some 280 Australian drivers have been chosen to as part of the ute’s final evaluation program, with the results to determine whether or not the ute is launched to the wider public towards the end of next year.
But the broader launch is looking like a done deal after the amount of work, and expense, that’s been put into the program, including Walkinshaw opening a new and siloed-off workspace to complete the right-hand-drive work.
Or, in the words of Toyota Australia’s sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, “we are not doing this not to launch the car…”
“This has never been done anywhere in the world. So we are not certainly not doing this to not launch the car, I think that’s a fair comment,” Mr Hanley says.
“But we still have a quality criteria that we must reach with our parent company… until we meet that this is not a confirmed position.”
Called The Tundra Insider Program, the 280 customers (it was 300, but around 20 vehicles will remain in Toyota’s hands) will be asked to report back regularly on their vehicle over the next 12 months, allowing Toyota to make any changes that might be necessary.
At a glance, it seems a solid deal for those customers, all of whom will sign a “subsidised lease” (in that Toyota shares the costs), and will then likely be given the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the term.
The Tundra is being offered in a single Limited trim, and customers are charged $2500 per month, covering all scheduled servicing and maintenance, mechanical repairs, replacement tyres, roadside assist and comprehensive insurance.
If all goes well, and it’s expected to, the Tundra’s broader release will occur before the end of next year, with the trucks in dealerships and Toyota reporting no supply issues.
In terms of costs, it remains a mystery. But CarsGuide would be staggered if this wasn't a six-figure truck.
The Tundra is being pitched as Toyota’s ultimate towing vehicle, rather than its most rugged off-roader, with the brand happy to leave that mantle with the LandCruiser family.
Instead, the Tundra will arrive with a monster 4.5-tonne braked towing capacity (less than it gets in the USA, but able to be driven in Australia without the need of a special licence), making it the most tow-friendly vehicle in the Toyota stable.
It also debuts Toyota’s i-Force Max engine, which pairs a twin-turbo V6 with an electric motor and a 6.5Ahr nickel metal hydride battery to produce a total 326kW and 790Nm.
That power is fed through a 10-speed automatic and sent to the rear or all four tyres thanks to the Tundra’s part-time 4WD system with a two-speed transfer case and automatic limited slip differential.
The comprehensive reengineering project has seen the Tundra become something of a Toyota Group Frankenstein’s Monster, sporting bits from other Toyota and Lexus vehicles to make it feel more at home in Australia.
One example is the pedal box. Rather than shifting the pedal box from the left to the right - which leaves the pedals slightly out of position in Australia - the Tundra features the original accelerator pedal, but the 300 Series’ brake pedal and pedal box, and the steering rack from a Lexus LX.
It’s a laser-focus on the details which should make the Tundra feel like it came from the factory with the steering wheel on the right side.
“We are working through exactly the same standards as though this vehicle was coming off a production line,” says Ray Munday, Toyota’s Senior Manager, Vehicle Evaluation and Regulations.
The Tundra is a big beast, coming in at 5955mm in length, 1985mm in height and 2040mm in width, and riding on a 3700mm wheelbase.
Watch the road, the Tundra is coming soon.
TUNDRA LIMITED FEATURES AND EQUIPMENT
326kW, 790Nm 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 i-Force Max powertrain
Ten-speed automatic transmission with Eco, Normal and Sport modes
Dual-range 4WD system with limited slip differential
Front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension
Ventilated 354mm front and 335mm rear disc brakes
122-litre fuel tank
Electric power steering
LED lights, daytime running lights
20-inch Sports Alloy wheels with 265/60R20 tyres
Heated, power folding exterior mirrors with reverse tilt-down
Active front spoiler
Tub management system with side and back rails and moveable tie-down points
Towbar, 3500kg towball and tongue
12-pin trailer wiring harness
Nine colour options with solid, crystal pearl, and metallic paint finishes
Black synthetic leather seats
Heated and ventilated front seats with 8-way power adjustment
Leather-accented steering wheel with controls for multimedia and driver assist systems
12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
60/40-split rear seat back
Front and rear carpet floor mats
Toyota Safety Sense
Pre-collision system with day and night pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection
It's Tundra time at last, Australia! Toyota's...
Comments