Toyota Australia has started deliveries of the locally remanufactured right-hand drive Tundra pickup to select customers for evaluation.
The so-called Tundra Insider Program will see 300 potential customers lease the Tundra as part of a “real-world evaluation and validation program”. They’ll be required to report back to Toyota regularly on their experience.
This project has been in the works since 2019, and Walkinshaw Automotive Group has been enlisted to remanufacture the 300 Tundras included in this pilot program at a facility in Dandenong, Victoria. It’s expected all deliveries will be completed by April 2024.
At this stage the locally remanufactured right-hand drive Toyota Tundra still isn’t available for retail purchase, with Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley saying the trial will go for a minimum of 12 months and could be extended if necessary.
“Right now we don’t officially have approval to launch this vehicle in Australia,” said Mr Hanley.
“Until we get over all the quality criteria requirements of Toyota, we can’t confirm a time when that’ll happen.
“But so, first priority, get these 290 on the road, go through the trial period, make any amendments that we have to make, recheck our quality criteria, and then determine whether we can launch.”
The only Tundra variant offered locally with this pilot program is the Limited, which is technically a mid-specification model in the US range.
All are powered by the i-Force Max powertrain which pairs a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with an electric motor generator producing total system outputs of 326kW of power and 790Nm of torque.
There are number of new and modified components that are required as part of the remanufacturing process from left- to right-hand drive. Some of these are sourced from the LandCruiser 300 Series which is based on the same TNGA-F body-on-frame platform.
The Toyota Tundra goes up against the likes of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, as well as the Ram 1500 in Australia.
Pricing
The 300 customers selected as part of the evaluation program are being provided with the Tundra on a “Full Service Lease” through Toyota Finance Australia.
For a single monthly payment of $2500, the lease covers all six-monthly/10,000km logbook servicing, mechanical repairs, replacement tyres, roadside assist, registration and compulsory third-party insurance.
Comprehensive insurance is also provided by Toyota Insurance.
Drivetrain
The 2024 Toyota Tundra Limited is powered exclusively by the i-Force Max powertrain.
It pairs a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine producing 290kW and 650Nm with an electric motor generator producing 36kW and 250Nm that feeds a 6.5Ahr nickel metal hydride battery pack. Total system outputs are 326kW of power and 790Nm of torque.
This i-Force Max powertrain is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a part-time four-wheel drive system. There’s also a two-speed transfer case and an automatic limited-slip differential.
There are Normal, Eco, Sport, Tow, and Tow+ drive modes that are claimed to change the transmission shift points, pedal response and power steering.
Efficiency
Toyota Australia hasn’t disclosed a claimed combined fuel economy figure for the locally remanufactured Tundra as of yet.
It has a 122-litre fuel tank and requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded fuel.
Dimensions
The 2024 Toyota Tundra Limited measures in at 5955mm long, 2040mm wide, and 1985mm tall, with a 3700mm wheelbase.
Its tub measures in at 1666mm long, 1490mm wide (1237mm between the arches), and 530mm tall.
It has a braked towing capacity of 4500kg while unbraked towing is 750kg. Maximum payload is 758kg, gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3536kg and gross combined mass (GCM) is 7825kg.
The Tundra has 216mm of ground clearance, an approach angle of 23 degrees, and a departure angle of 21 degrees.
Servicing and Warranty
As part of the lease agreement for the 300 Tundras included in this evaluation program, all mechanical repairs, servicing, replacement tyres, and roadside assist is covered.
Logbook servicing is required every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
Safety
The Toyota Tundra hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP at this stage. In the US however it was awarded a Top Safety Pick+ rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
It comes as standard with the following equipment:
- Eight airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Day and night time pedestrian detection
- Day and night time cyclist detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane departure alert
- Lane trace assist
- Emergency steering assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Surround-view camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
Standard Equipment
The 2024 Toyota Tundra Limited comes with the following as standard:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Automatic LED headlights
- Automatic high-beam
- Heated and power-folding side mirrors with reverse tilt-down function
- Active front spoiler
- Tub management system with side and back rails and moveable tie-down points
- 12-pin trailer wiring harness
- 50mm tow ball (3500kg rated)
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- 12-speaker sound system
- Wireless phone charger
- Dual-zone climate control
- Proximity entry and push-button start
- Five USB ports
- 12V outlet
- Front and rear carpet floor mats
- Leather-accented steering wheel
- Black synthetic leather upholstery
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Eight-way power adjustable front seats
A 70mm tow ball is optional and enables the Tundra to able tow a 4500kg braked trailer. There are also a range of genuine accessories ranging from a tonneau cover, load distribution hitch, and all-weather floor mats.
Colours
The 2024 Toyota Tundra Limited is available in the following exterior paint colours:
- Glacier White
- Frosted White
- Graphite
- Silver Storm
- Eclipse Black
- Emotional Red
- Vintage Brown Pearl
- Jungle Khaki
- Satin Blue
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