New Sequoia Unveiled By Toyota

Toyota's entry to the full size SUV class Sequoia was launched in the year 2000. After seven years, things have changed and car buyers are now shying away from large vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs. In order to make the Sequoia attractive to consumers despite the skyrocketing gas prices and the growing threat of global warming.

For the 2008 model year, the Toyota Sequoia has been redesigned and the result of was unveiled at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Sequoia is now built around a new chassis. It also boasts of a new interior designed to make motorists feel more comfortable inside the vehicle. On the outside, it was also changed to make it resemble the buffed up Tundra. In addition to that changes, Toyota also offers the 5.7-liter V8 engine also being used by the Toyota Tundra.

In response to the increasing price of gasoline, Toyota developed an engine for the SUV with fuel efficiency in mind. The new engine offered with the Sequoia is coupled to a six-speed transmission. The mating of the engine and the transmission provides plenty of power to the Sequoia while still having good fuel economy.

In designing the Sequoia, chief engineer Motoharu Araya went as far as living with an American family which owns a full size SUV. He did this for him to be bale to get an idea of what Americans want on their SUVs. He studied how Americans integrate their SUVs to their lifestyle. He also circulated a questionnaire over the Internet to ask consumers what they want on their full size SUVs. Even the location of the fuel filler caps is considered in the study.

The new engine offered with the Sequoia is made efficient with technologies such as reducing friction on mechanical parts. Durable pistons employed by the V8 engine are resin-coated to reduce friction during its reciprocating motion. This result to less power being wasted and optimizing the output of said powerplant. Said engine is rated to produce 381 horsepower, one of the highest power outputs in its class. This will make the Toyota Sequoia more attractive to American consumers who are looking to buy SUVs with good fuel efficiency.

On the inside, the new chassis of the Sequoia allowed to have bigger luggage space and cabin room. As Americans are still attracted to vehicles with roomy interior, the Sequoia is in a position to provide American consumers what they are looking for. Said vehicle will also produce clean emission, as clean as Acura vehicles' emission equipped with Acura catalytic converter.