Toyota Tundra Customer Evaluation Program Kicks Off

Toyota Australia has kicked off 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 Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations 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,” Mr Hanley said.

“That’s why we are putting this vehicle through such a rigourous and demanding 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 said.

Walkinshaw Automotive Group is currently building the 300 customer vehicles with all deliveries expected to be completed by April 2024.

Apart from 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.

All the power to pull

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 powerful 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 4500kg1, 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 big 354mm front and 335mm rear ventilated discs with fixed four-pot calipers on the front and a single cylinder fixed caliper on the rear.

As a full size pickup, 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 for comfort and convenience

As a Limited grade, Tundra is very 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 essential 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.

Delivering optimum comfort and convenience, the Tundra features LED lights, standard dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents, power windows including the sliding rear glass, wireless phone charger4, five USB ports, and adaptive cruise control.

A huge 14-inch touchscreen offers extensive multimedia options with Bluetooth5, wireless Apple CarPlay®6 and wired Android Auto™7 connectivity, and AM/FM8 radio with superb sound quality from a 12-speaker JBL®9 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)1, 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 Sense10 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 for simple financing

Customers selected to be part of the evaluation program are being provided with the Tundra on a Full Service Lease (FSL)10 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.

TUNDRA LIMITED FEATURES AND EQUIPMENT

Mechanical

  • 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

 

Exterior

  • 20” 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 tongue1
  • 12-pin trailer wiring harness
  • Nine colour options with solid, crystal pearl, and metallic paint finishes11

 

Interior

  • 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 with multi information display (MID)
  • 60/40-split rear seat back
  • Front and rear carpet floor mats

 

Safety

  • Toyota Safety Sense10
    • Pre-collision system with day and night pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection
    • Active cruise control
    • Lane departure alert with steering assist
    • Lane trace assist
    • Automatic high beam
  • Blind spot monitor
  • Rear cross traffic alert
  • Panoramic view monitor
  • Four front and four rear parking sensors
  • ABS, vehicle stability and traction control
  • Trailer brake controller
  • Trailer reversing guide
  • Eight airbags
  • Two rear ISOFIX points

 

Comfort and convenience

  • Dual zone climate control with rear vents
  • Smart entry and start
  • Automatic lights
  • 5 x USB ports and 1 x 12V accessory socket
  • Wireless phone charger4
  • Power windows and back glass
  • Door pockets with bottle holders

 

Infotainment / Multimedia

  • 14.0-inch touchscreen
  • 12-speaker JBL®9 audio system
  • AM/FM8 radio
  • Bluetooth®5 compatibility
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay®6 / wired Android Auto™7 compatibility

TUNDRA LIMITED SPECIFICATIONS

TUNDRA 4x4 FULL-SIZE PICKUP

DIMENSIONS2

Length

5955mm

Width

2040mm

Height

1985mm

Wheelbase

3700mm

Front/rear tracks

1737mm

Angle of Approach

23 degrees

Angle of Departure

21 degrees

Kerb weight (max)3

2778kg

Payload (max)3

758Kg

GVM3

3536kg

GCM3

7825kg

Ground clearance (unladen)2

216mm

Towing unbraked1

750kg

Towing braked1

4500kg

Fuel tank

122 litres

ENGINE

Type

V35A-FTS

Cylinders

V6

Valve mechanism

24V DOHC chain drive

Bore x Stroke

85.5.0mm x 100.0mm

Displacement

3445cm3

Compression ratio

10.4:1

Fuel system

Port and direct injection

Octane number

95 RON

Maximum power

290kW @ 5200rpm

Maximum torque

650Nm @ 2400-3600rpm

i-FORCE MAX SYSTEM

Combined maximum power output

326kW

Combined maximum torque output

790Nm

Electric motor generator

Permanent magnet synchronous motor

MG1 maximum power

36kW

MG1 maximum torque

250Nm

Hybrid battery type

Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)

Hybrid battery capacity

6.5Ahr

TRANSMISSION

Type

10-speed electronically controlled automatic

Designation

L4A0F

1st

4.923

2nd

3.257

3rd

2.349

4th

1.944

5th

1.532

6th

1.193

7th

1.000

8th

0.801

9th

0.661

10th

0.613

Reverse

4.307

Final Drive

3.307

CHASSIS

Front suspension

Double wishbone

Rear suspension

Multi-link

Steering gear

Rack and pinion

Power steering

Electric

Brakes (front)

Ventilated disc: 354mm with fixed 4-cylinder calliper

Brakes (rear)

Ventilated disc: 335mm with floating 1 cylinder calliper

Wheels and tyres

20-inch alloy, 265/60 R20 Bridgestone tyres

1 Towing capacity subject to regulatory requirements, and vehicle & equipment design limitations.

2 Dimensions are approximate and are subject to individual vehicle variances, accessory fitment and weight carried.

3 Weights/mass/volumes/dimensions are approximate and subject to individual vehicle variances, and should be confirmed before fitting any accessories, towing or otherwise relying on this value.

4 Only Qi-supported devices compatible. Refer to device manufacturer. May require additional purchase of accessory to support wireless charging.

5 Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Compatibility and functionality varies depending on device.

6 CarPlay® is a trademark of Apple, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Requires compatible device, USB connection, or wireless Bluetooth® connection, mobile data, network reception & GPS signal. Mobile usage at user's cost. Apps subject to change. For details see toyota.com.au/connected.

7 Android AutoTM is a trademark of Google LLC. Requires compatible device, USB connection, mobile data, network reception & GPS signal. Mobile usage at user's cost. Apps subject to change. For details see toyota.com.au/connected.

8 Coverage varies based on vehicle location.

9 Product & company names are trademarks of their respective owners.

10 Driver assist feature. Only operates under certain conditions. Check your Owner's Manual for explanation of limitations. Please drive safely.

11 Toyota Australia reserves the right to vary or discontinue the current interior and exterior colours, trims and colour/trim/model combinations.