Toyota Australia has commenced its Tundra customer evaluation program with the first re-engineered right-hand drive vehicles now in customers’ hands.
The Tundra Insider Program will see 300 potential customers lease the Tundra on a Full Service Lease basis as part of a real-world evaluation and validation program, reporting back regularly to Toyota on their experience.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sean Hanley said this was an important step in what was a world-first local re-engineering program for Toyota to ensure the Tundra is perfectly suited to the demands of Australian customers.
“We know there is a demand for full-size pickups like the Tundra but we wanted to ensure that the local right-hand drive conversion and the vehicle as a whole met Toyota’s exacting standards for quality and the needs of our customers,” Hanley says.
“That’s why we are putting this vehicle through such a rigorous evaluation program. Our engineers have been working on this project since 2019 and now, together with our partners at Walkinshaw Automotive Group, it’s great to see vehicles being delivered to our customers.
“Toyota has never undertaken a project like this before and we look forward to hearing what these first customers think and feel about the new Toyota Tundra,” he says.
Walkinshaw Automotive Group is currently building the 300 customer vehicles with all deliveries expected to be completed by April 2024.
In addition to moving the steering wheel and pedals to the right-hand side of the vehicle, the US-built Tundra Limited features several new or modified components.
These include the steering rack, instrument panel, firewall, headlights, cabling, harnesses, front seats, carpet and trim, with many of the new components sourced from the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
Pulling power
The Tundra Limited is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with a maximum power output of 290kW at 5200rpm and peak torque of 650Nm between 2400rpm and 3600rpm.
This petrol engine is paired with a 36kW/250Nm electric motor generator and 6.5Ahr nickel metal hydride battery (Ni-MH) that delivers total system maximum outputs of 326kW and 790Nm.
The i-Force Max powertrain delivers extra punch for a strong acceleration response, particularly when towing heavy loads.
The engine drives through a 10-speed automatic transmission with Eco, Normal and Sport modes that is combined with a part-time all-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case and automatic limited slip differential.
With a maximum braked towing capacity of 4500kg, the Tundra also offers two selectable Tow modes that optimise transmission shift points, pedal response and power steering depending on the load.
The Tundra sits on a ladder-frame chassis with a front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension delivering strength, durability and driving comfort.
Electrically-assisted rack and pinion power steering provides responsive feel while stopping power is provided by 354mm front and 335mm rear ventilated discs with fixed four-pot callipers on the front and a single cylinder fixed calliper on the rear.
The Tundra sits on a 3700mm wheelbase with a wide front and rear track of 1737mm providing on and off-road stability.
Its rigid body measures 5955mm long and 2040mm wide2 and combines aluminium (bonnet and front doors) and ultra-high strength steel to provide a vehicle that tips the scales at 2778kg3.
Premium features
As a Limited grade, Tundra is well equipped with seating for five with a 60/40-split rear seat back. All seats are trimmed in synthetic leather with 8-way power adjustment and heating and ventilation for the front pair.
This is complemented by a leather-accented transmission shifter and steering wheel with steering wheel controls for audio, phone, vehicle setting and driver assistance functions.
All information is provided by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a central digital speedometer and analogue-style tachometer and a range of other user-selectable information displays.
The Tundra features LED lights, standard dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents, power windows including the sliding rear glass, wireless phone charger, five USB ports, and adaptive cruise control.
A 14-inch touchscreen offers extensive multimedia options with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connectivity, and AM/FM/DAB+ radio with a 12-speaker JBL speaker system.
As a vehicle designed for heavy towing, the Tundra comes standard with a 3500kg tongue and ball (capable of 4500kg with appropriate tongue and ball accessory), 12-pin wiring harness, trailer brake control system and a trailer back up guide that provides visual and audible assistance when reversing.
A full suite of Toyota Safety Sense features include the autonomous emergency braking pre-collision safety system with day and night pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure alert, lane trace assist, emergency steering assist and automatic high beam.
Full service lease
Customers selected to be part of the evaluation program are being provided with the Tundra on a Full Service Lease (FSL) administered through Toyota Finance Australia.
For a single monthly payment of $2,500, the lease covers all six-monthly/10,000km scheduled servicing and maintenance, mechanical repairs, replacement tyres, and Roadside Assist.
Comprehensive insurance provided by Toyota Insurance, and registration and compulsory third-party insurance are also covered by the monthly lease payments.
