Toyota Tundra local evaluation is underway

The Tundra, Toyota’s contender against the RAM, Chevrolet and Ford full-size pickups that are a growing presence in the Australian automotive market, is officially on the road as part of the ‘Tundra Insider Program’.

The program will see a total of 300 Tundra dual cab AWD pickups leased to approved customers across Australia, all of whom will be required to provide Toyota with evaluation and feedback on the vehicle on a regular basis. The first locally re-engineered Tundras were leased by customers in December, with the final units to be released in April. How long the program will last hasn’t been revealed, but is expected to take at least six months.

As the Tundra is only built in left-hand form in the USA (primarily for the North American market), it needs converting to right-hand drive for use here. That conversion is done by Melbourne-based Walkinshaw Automotive Group, who also re-engineer Chevrolet Silverado pickups that come into Australia through GMSV, along with the GMC Denali SUV that’s due to arrive in 2025. 

Aside from the obvious relocation of the steering wheel, instrumentation and pedals, the RHD conversion on the Tundra requires changes to the front seats, wiring harness, firewall, headlights and many other areas. While some parts can be switched directly, others need to be made, with some components taken from the new LandCruiser 300 Series 4x4, too.

Dimensionally, the Tundra dual cab pickup measures 5955mm x 2040mm x 1985mm (LxWxH), with a 3700mm wheelbase and 1737mm track front and rear. Tub dimensions are 1666mm long by 1490mm wide, with 1237mm between the wheelarches and a depth of 530mm – that’s larger than a HiLux tub by only about 120mm in length and width.

Despite the use of aluminium for the bonnet and front doors, the Tundra weighs a significant 2778kg, with a max payload rating of 758kg, GVM of 3536kg and GCM of 7825kg.

For off-roading, the Tundra’s ground clearance is listed at 216mm, with approach and departure angles of 23 and 21 degrees. A breakover angle is not provided, nor is wading depth.

All Tundras for local customer assessment are powered by the ‘i-Force Max’ hybrid drivetrain that combines a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 with an electric motor and nickel metal hydride battery. Independently, the 3.5 V6 produces 290kW at 5200rpm and 650Nm at 2400-3600rpm, while the electric motor provides 36kW and 250Nm. Combined output is listed at 326kW and 790Nm.

This is matched to a ten-speed automatic transmission and part-time all-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case and automatic LSD. Fuel economy figures have yet to be provided, but this drivetrain and the Tundra’s body-on-frame design allows towing capacity of up to 4500kg (with the appropriate 70mm towbar) and offers selectable tow modes.

Suspension consists of double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear, while braking utilises 354mm front and 335mm rear ventilated discs, with four-piston calipers up front and single calipers on the rear. Wheels are 20-inch alloys, equipped with Bridgestone 365/60 R20 tyres.

Every Tundra in the local lease program is a five-seater, built to a single ‘Limited’ specification, with a 14.0-inch centre touchscreen, 12.3-inch adjustable digital instrument display, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connectivity, wireless phone charging and five USB ports as standard. Additionally, all units come with a sliding rear window, front seats with heating, ventilation and eight-way power adjustment, a 60/40 folding rear seat (all seats are trimmed in artificial leather), dual-zone climate control and a twelve-speaker JBL sound system.

In terms of safety, the Toyota Safety Sense 10 suite in the big pickup includes autonomous emergency braking and the pre-collision safety system with day/night pedestrian and day cyclist detection, lane departure alert, lane trace assist, emergency steering assist and auto high beam for the LED headlights.

Under the Tundra Insider Program, customers pay a monthly $2,500 fee that includes six-monthly (or 10,000km) scheduled servicing, mechanical repairs, tyre replacement and roadside assist. Registration and CTP insurance are also covered by the monthly lease payments.

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the Tundra Insider Program is part of a world-first local re-engineering program for Toyota, designed to ensure the Tundra is perfectly suited to 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 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,” Hanley concluded.

Of the first two customers for the Tundra Insider Program, one plans to use his pickup on a 15,000km roadtrip from Victoria to Western Australia, towing a 2.5 tonne camper trailer. The other will put the Tundra to the test as a work vehicle during the week, then towing a large horse float and on jobs around his Victorian farm on the weekends.

Both have experience with the Tundra, having privately imported versions of the big pickup in the past.