The 2023 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia are coming to New Zealand, although it isn’t Toyota’s local arm that’s bringing them here.
Private company Glacier International has confirmed it will be offering right-hand drive Tundra and Sequoia hybrid models to Kiwi consumers in limited numbers, with orders now open to the public.
The company says it has 10 units available of each model for all of 2023, with the next batch not scheduled to be brought into the country until 2024. The first 2023 models are set to land early next year, with delivery to follow in Q4 following the completion of the conversions.
Customers are able to choose from numerous trim levels. The Sequoia can be optioned in either SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, or Capstone trims, while the Tundra is available in Limited Hybrid TRD Off-Road, Platinum Hybrid, 1794 Hybrid TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro Hybrid, and Capstone Hybrid trims.
Pricing ranges from $205,000 to $265,000 across both models, depending on the trim chosen.
Both models come with Toyota’s i-Force Max 3.5-litre twin-turbo hybrid powertrain paired to a 10-speed automatic, making 326kW of power and 790Nm of torque.
Conversions are carried out locally at Glacier’s facility at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell. Led by “a trained Toyota technician” in CEO Malcolm King, each conversion is said to take more than 240 hours; the company boasting that the end product is “indiscernible” from OEM.
Founded in 2016, Glacier International has been importing and converting Toyota Tundras for several years now. This, however, is the first time they will offer the Tundra with a hybrid powertrain. It’s also the first time they have offered the Tundra- based Sequoia.
The private company says it has completed the prototyping phase, and is now in the process of injection moulding components. The firm assures that all vehicles comply with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency standards.
“We’ve had over 1000 people expressing interest in the models, we’ve seen interest from a whole new NZ market now the range has moved to this luxury hybrid family SUV segment. We’re excited to get them into our customers hands and on the road,” says Malcolm.
“Our right-hand drive 2023 Hybrid Sequoias and Tundras are beyond extraordinary. Every customer has said the vehicle exceeds their expectations. These are incredible machines that are hard to understand until you’ve really experienced the combination of power and luxury they embody.”
In August, Toyota New Zealand chief executive Neeraj Lala couldn’t rule out the Tundra for local sale, following confirmation that it would soon be offered in Australia via a Walkinshaw Automotive-operated conversion programme.
Lala said he was “cautious” around the idea of bringing the Tundra to local showrooms, pointing out that it could have an adverse impact on the CO2 average across the Toyota fleet with the Clean Car Standard just around the corner.
“It’s been a project we’ve been looking at and talking about for a very long time. It’s a very small volume conversion project for phase one,” Lala told AutoTalk in August.
“It’s something we are looking at, but we haven’t made a decision on. It’s potentially available. My concern at the moment is just around the impact to our total CO2 performance.
“Our priority at the moment, and we’ve stated it all along, is that we’re committed to the emissions standards that are being introduced. We’re committed to achieving our targets, and achieving a 46% reduction in three years is not easy.
“Our market is quite different in terms of our position profile. We just need to consider all of those factors before we make a decision. But we are working closely with the product team. We’d like to, but we need to be cautious around what we do moving forward in terms our total journey.”
