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Toyota Sequoia wagon emerges as a big rig packing high power
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DALLAS, Tex. -- A full-size sport-utility wagon, built on the platform of a pickup truck also of big dimensions, stands tall and stretches long.
Typically, such a large vehicle tips the scales at more than two and a half tons. It stuffs a humongous engine beneath the hood and contains seats for as many as eight passengers plus space in the cargo bay for a lot of gear.
It's the only choice for those who must haul a troop of Scouts or lug a boat because more prevalent mid-size wagons simply cannot accommodate so many passengers or heaps of gear, much less tow a hefty trailer rig.
Until recently, selections for a full-size sport-utility wagon were limited to two domestic automakers that also build full-size trucks.
However, Toyota of Japan, which entered the American truck market last year with the impressive Tundra full-size pickup, now uses Tundra as the foundation to support a full-size sport-ute wagon called Sequoia.
Both Tundra and Sequoia come out of a new manufacturing facility that Toyota built in America's Corn Belt at Gibson County, Indiana. Annual capacity of the plant includes more than 100,000 trucks and about 60,000 Sequoias.
The arrival of Tundra and Sequoia marks the first time an automaker headquartered outside the United States has dared to compete against full-size pickups and wagons of the entrenched domestic brands. To do so, Toyota's designers had to bone up on strengths and weaknesses of these uniquely American vehicles with their oversized cabins, tall ground clearances, superior hauling and towing capacities, and muscular V8 powertrain requirements.
That meant producing vehicles virtually alien to the Japanese mind -- something really big.
It also meant developing an eight-cylinder engine, which has two more cylinders than any Toyota car or truck engine ever carried.
The V8 -- dubbed by Toyota as the iForce engine, with the "i" denoting an intelligent application -- forms the core element in Sequoia.
Off an iron block fitted with aluminum alloy heads, the plant displaces 4.7 liters and carries twin cams on top. It produces 240 hp at 4800 rpm and as much as 315 lb-ft of torque at 3400 rpm.
The plant delivers impressive low-end torque and can tow a rig weighing up to 6500 pounds.
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An automatic four-speed transmission mates exclusively with the V8 in Sequoia and effects stunningly smooth and quiet shifts.
Sequoia's organization begins at Tundra's platform but with the wheelbase pared by 10.2 inches to 118.1 inches and the wheel track width running to 65.9 inches in front and 66.1 inches in back. Essentially, the two vehicles use the same structure forward of the cabin's second pillars, but the wagon varies in composition rearward behind those pillars.
Since a wagon contains far more mass than does a pickup truck, Sequoia's chassis had to be stronger and stiffer for it to perform agile maneuvers. Thus, side rails were completely boxed from front to back so the platform would resist twisting when moving over uneven terrain.
The ladder frame with cross bracing cradles Tundra's front independent suspension elements of double wishbone design, although tuning of Sequoia's suspension tips toward a softer ride quality for comfort.
Sequoia's rear suspension on a solid axle varies from Tundra with the addition of five-link coil springs rather than the truck's harsher leaf springs.
These changes set up the smooth and comfortable ride quality that Sequoia delivers.
Also, the suspension hikes Sequoia's platform to a new high mark among full-size SUVs, with ground clearance rising to 10.6 inches. The high stance becomes important in the four-wheel-drive version for crawling over rough ground on an off-pavement course.
Sequoia offers a choice of traction modes with either conventional rear two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive.
The four-wheel-drive mechanism provides automatic shifting for the V8's torque through an electronic transfer case with shift-on-the-fly feature.
Push a button on the dashboard to switch front differential and transfer case settings between rear two-wheel-drive and four-wheel modes. Then a floor lever allows the driver to shift manually from four-wheel high down to four-wheel low gear for serious off-road passages.
Impressive vehicle control comes through sophisticated mechanisms like power-assisted rack and pinion steering and large disc brakes for all wheels and linkage to an anti-lock device. Also, an advanced vehicle anti-skid system unites the anti-lock brakes and a traction controller through a computer that can automatically correct oversteer or understeer when cornering.
The passenger compartment of Sequoia scores as a vast space organized for four-door convenience with three rows of seats for eight riders plus a cargo bay in the rear accessible through a big liftgate.
In front, there's a standard three-person bench seat or optional twin contoured bucket seats. Buckets stand on either side of a multi-level console with storage bins and cupholders up front and twin cupholders in back as well as controls for an optional rear air conditioning system.
The second row bench divides in 60/40 sections, as each seatback folds flat before the chair tips forward to a vertical position for access to the third row.
That back bench, divided into two equal sections, may be removed entirely to create even more cargo room.
Sequoia segments into two editions, SR5 and Limited.
Standard equipment for both ranges from power windows, mirrors and door locks to automatic climate controls and an audio package with six speakers, cassette and CD players.
The Limited adds leather seat upholstery, dual-zone front and rear air conditioning, a premium JBL stereo kit with ten speakers, a tow package with receiver hitch and wiring harness, roof rack, heated mirrors and alloy wheels.
Options for the SR5 include the front bucket seats and packages for alloy wheels, convenience gear or preferred equipment like leather seats.
Also, both SR5 and Limited offer a power moonroof and additional safety gear through a package of side-mounted and side-curtain air bags.
Sequoia comes to market with a range of prices extending from $30,815 to $46,000.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size sport-utility wagon |
| Model Options: |
Full-size sport-utility wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
118.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
203.9 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.7-L V8 |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
2WD (rear), 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/VSC/TCS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) plus opt. 2 (side) + 2 (side curtain) |
| Gross Weight: |
2WD: 6500 pounds, 4WD: 6600 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
2WD: 6500 pounds, 4WD: 6200 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
2WD: 14/18 mpg, 4WD: 14/17 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 30,815 to $ 46,000 |
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