First Look Review: The 2024 Toyota Sequoia is capable & adventurous

Update: ‘Price’ section revised and new pictures added.

The Hybrid-only 2024 Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV designed and engineered specially for American customers and serves as a local alternative to the Land Cruiser 300 sold globally. It is an extremely capable SUV, suitable for the needs of customers with big families who have an active lifestyle and a knack for serious off-road adventures.

The MY2024 of the go-anywhere three-row SUV is already at U.S. dealerships, and recently, I had the opportunity to check out the vehicle’s exterior and interior in detail. Here’s my experience with the high-end 2024 Toyota Sequoia Capstone variant.

Design

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia, as the SUV counterpart to the Tundra, confidently displays its ties with the pickup truck through a recognizable design. Its boxy silhouette, extra-large dimensions, and brawny features endow it with a rugged SUV character. It carries a certain poise, steering clear of contemporary design elements like delicate split headlamps or full-width light stripes increasingly popular in so many MY2024 SUVs.

If you were to ask me, the 2024 Sequoia’s massive hexagonal grille, high-set, flattish hood, muscular bumpers, straight belt line, big windows, 22-inch wheels, and wraparound back glass provide the impression of an unbreakable SUV. I appreciate the fact that Toyota offers power-extending running boards in the SUV, making ingress and egress easier for kids and average-height adults.

Toyota offers the 2024 Sequoia in the same five grades as the launch line-up: SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Capstone. Customers can specify the MY2024 SUV with a new Nightshade package on the Limited grade or a new TRD Off-Road package on the Platinum grade with the 4WD option.

On a vehicle with MSRP touching nearly USD 80,000 in its top-end grade (pictured), I’d expect an impeccable build quality. The panel gaps on the 2024 Sequoia show room for improvement, and the alignment could have been better in areas. That said, the paint quality is good. The 2024 Sequoia is available in a new ‘Terra’ color on the TRD Pro grade, which is the most adventurous option in the palette.

Interior

The interior of the 2024 Toyota Sequoia is utilitarian to go with the tough exterior but modern, too. When I sat in the new three-row hybrid SUV, I was impressed with how well Toyota has designed a dashboard that looks both chunky and sleek. I liked the stubby gear lever in the massive center console, the compact four-spoke steering wheel, the free-standing 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and the bank of analog controls.

The 2024 Sequoia’s touchscreen infotainment system, which features wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, has a smooth UI, and is massive. The icons and menu structure make it easy to use. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster has a clean layout and presents all the useful information, and is customizable with a button on the steering wheel. The center console has a large storage space under the armrest, and is practical for daily items like wallets, sunglasses and keys.

Digging deeper, I felt that the quality of materials in the area that is most commonly interfaced was good, but you won’t mistake it for a luxury vehicle, considering that the base design is from a truck. The buttons, toggle switches, and dials offered tactile feedback. Of the various available interior combinations, my favorite is the black-and-white available in the Capstone grade because it adds genuine American Walnut wood trim.

I’m a six-footer, and when I entered the 2024 Sequoia to sit in its driver seat, I felt that ingress wasn’t hard. For shorter drivers, the power-operated running board would come in handy. After I adjusted to the most comfortable position for me, I felt that I had enough lumbar support and that under-thigh support was also generous. The 8-way adjustable seats felt like they were designed for interstate travel, and I must note that they come with heating and ventilation.

As for front headroom, there can be no complaints, not even from the taller drivers. All-around visibility in the full-size hybrid SUV was excellent, thanks to the large glass surfaces. The electronic power steering is available with power power tilt/telescopic adjustment and I felt that it offered a solid grip. When I exited the front of the cabin to enter the second row, I felt that egress was not hard.

In the second row, ingress is helped by powered running boards. I was in the 7-seat version, sitting behind the driver’s seat, which was still in my most comfortable position. Yet I found that there was more than sufficient knee and leg room. That said, the glass roof takes up some of the headroom, but not to a level where I felt unsafe or claustrophobic.

On to the third row, I felt that ingress was quite complicated for a tall adult like me! The headroom in the third row of the 2024 Sequoia isn’t sufficient, whereas the raised floor makes it hard to find a comfortable seating posture. I wasn’t expecting under-thigh support and shoulder room to be comfortable, as this part of the vehicle is strictly for the kids.

The 2024 Sequoia comes with a full-size spare tire mounted under its body, right below the cargo area. It features a hands-free liftgate as well, which makes accessing the cargo area easy while holding groceries or other belongings in both hands. The third row doesn’t fold flat into the floor, and the liftover height is quite high.

One of the most criticized aspects of the third-gen Sequoia is the cargo volume, which hasn’t changed for MY2024, obviously. There’s only up to 22.3 cu. ft. of storage space behind the third row, expandable to up to 86.9 cu. ft. The former can be achieved only by sliding the third-row seats all the way forward; when slid all the way back for maximum comfort, the number drops to an abysmal 11.5 cu. ft.

Driving impressions

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia is a body-on-frame SUV with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 gas engine and an electric motor, with the latter positioned between the engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The net result of this combination is 437 hp and 583 lb.-ft. of torque. A part-time 4WD system is optional, and so is a rear air suspension with an adaptive variable suspension system. The EPA-est. fuel economy (combined) of the 2024 Sequoia is 22 MPG (2WD)/20 MPG (4WD).

The Toyota Sequoia has received no mechanical changes with the MY2024 update, so it should still feel the same to drive and ride as before. Those who have driven it during the previous model year have also lauded its cabin quietness, thanks to the smooth and silent nature of its hybrid powertrain and good cabin insulation.

The third-gen Sequoia feels effortless to drive, as its hybrid powertrain delivers ample torque across the rev band. The 10-speed automatic transmission also feels like a bliss, with its shifts only becoming noticeable when skips a gear during downshift. Toyota has tuned the suspension such that it doesn’t feel too floaty, but still, the SUV remains stable over bumps. Going by earlier reviews, the areas that need improvement in the incoming model years include addressing the sway in the body and adding responsiveness and precision to the steering.

Price

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia starts at USD 61,275 and goes up to USD 81,265 (excl. USD 1,850 DPH fee). The frame SUV ended 2023 with its best-ever annual sales, clocking 22,182 units.

TopElectricSUV says

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia is efficient, comfortable, feature-packed, and a stylish full-size SUV with an impressive towing capacity. While it may come up short in terms of a comfortable third row and ideally designed cargo area, these wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for all buyers. Despite more budget-friendly and spacious alternatives from American brands, we feel that Toyota loyalists and Sequoia fans won’t have to look any further!

2024 Toyota Sequoia FAQs

Note: This story contains contributions from our reader.