Toyota announced a handful of changes to the Sequoia today, and anyone who keeps track of its Tundra sibling won’t be surprised. The full-size SUV will receive some subtle styling and technology updates to keep it relatively fresh, although we suspect Toyota fans will be more excited with the debut of the new 2027 Sequoia Trailhunter. The overland-themed trim will make the jump from Tacoma, 4Runner, and Tundra to the hybrid seven-seater, giving off-road rivals like the Ford Expedition Tremor and Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 some company.
Control-V To The SUV
2027 Toyota Sequoia TrailhunterToyota
If you saw the 2027 Tundra announcement earlier this week, you won’t be surprised by the changes Toyota made to the similarly facelifted Sequoia. All trims of the body-on-frame, eight-seat SUV will come standard with a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, which was formerly part of a $2,085 option package on the base SR5 model. Running the latest version of the Toyota Multimedia System software, the new infotainment has a redesigned menu structure and a home screen for easier access to all of its functions.
2027 Toyota Sequoia TrailhunterToyota
Also standard will be Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 (TSS 4.0), a suite of advanced driver assistance and safety features. Like the old Sequoia’s TSS 2.5 system, the new setup features full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assistance, automatic high beams, and more. But the latest TSS 4.0 enhances those functions with improved hardware and detection capabilities, and it also adds the automaker’s Proactive Driving Assist function that helps provide a greater margin of safety even if the adaptive cruise and lane centering tech aren’t activated.
2027 Toyota Sequoia TrailhunterToyota
Like the Tundra, the 2027 Sequoia will also come standard with a drive data recorder that uses the front and rear cameras (or the surround-view monitor) to automatically back-record 20-second segments of footage during a collision; the driver can manually trigger the recording as well.
Hello Mudder, Hello Father
2027 Toyota Sequoia TrailhunterToyota
Toyota’s aggressive Trailhunter package will spread to the Sequoia following its full-size debut on the Tundra earlier this week. Predictably, the SUV will get front coilovers and rear shocks sourced from Old Man Emu, the Australian off-road company that’s become synonymous with overland adventuring. As on the truck, the Sequoia also receives upgraded front recovery hooks and a beefy engine and transmission skid plate, enhancing protection when bushwacking across the desert.
Close
The Trailhunter also gets well-integrated Rigid LED foglamps on the front bumper, and with Michelin LTX Trail all-terrain tires mounted on trim-specific bronze wheels. A terrain management system, low-speed crawl control, and a locking rear differential optimize traction in rough conditions, taking full advantage of that more robust rolling stock.
Off-Grid Hybrid Power
As with every Sequoia model since the third-generation 2023 redesign, the new Sequoia is a hybrid-only affair, matching Toyota’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 with a nickel-metal-hydride battery and transmission-mounted electric motor. Although the setup causes some frustrating packaging compromises in terms of third-row space and cargo room, one big benefit is an available 2.4-kilowatt power inverter – like the one offered on the Ford F-150 – which could be a huge boon in the sorts of overlanding adventures Toyota is channeling for the 2027 Sequoia Trailhunter.
The automaker hasn’t released full specs of the facelifted SUV, but we doubt it will backtrack its capability at all. Currently, the Sequoia’s so-called i-FORCE MAX hybrid powerplant makes a prodigious 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, good for a nearly segment-leading 9,500 pounds of towing capacity. We suspect Toyota may gun for the crown, which currently rests (at 10,000 pounds) atop the Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s head.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Although the Toyota Sequoia has never been a big seller in the segment dominated by the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, it’s still a reasonably important SUV for the automaker. As with the Tundra (and soon to be the Tacoma), the full-size SUV is built in Texas, helping Toyota avoid some of the challenging tariff and tax implications currently challenging a number of foreign companies in the US right now. Furthermore, it provides a rugged stepping stone for Toyota customers who may have outgrown their 4Runners but aren’t ready to settle into minivans or crossovers yet. More details on the 2027 Sequoia will be available closer to its start of production this fall.
Source: Toyota
