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 easy 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

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