Based on the same chassis as the Tundra, the Sequoia was the largest vehicle on the market that wore a Toyota badge at the front.
The Japanese carmaker waited a while before entering the competition against the Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, and Chevrolet Tahoe but was fell short on punching the Excursion or the Suburban. Toyota introduced it just a few months later after the full-size Tundra.

From the front, it offered that commanding view over the road, with a truck-like grille enhanced by a chromed silver slat in the middle, matching the color of the V-8 badge. Its steep windshield resembled the one from the Tundra and was followed on top by a long roof with full-size roof rails. From its sides, depending on the options, the car featured fixed side steps. A set of body-colored plastic moldings adorned the front and rear wheel arches. Unlike its main competitors, the Tundra’s designers made a raked-forward C-pillar behind the rear doors, followed by a glass panel and blackened D-pillars, creating a wrapped-around illusion glass back with a floating roof.

Inside, Toyota offered room for eight on three seat rows. Even though the dashboard and the steering wheel resembled the Tundra, the rest of the cabin was luxurious enough to make the owner forget about the car’s pickup base. The carmaker installed a leather-clad interior, a ceiling-mounted screen for the rear passengers, and a sunroof on the top trim level.

Under the hood, Toyota installed the same 4.7-liter V-8 engine used by the Lexus LX470 and the Land Cruiser. It paired it to a four-speed automatic transmission until 2004, and then it replaced it with a five-speed automatic gearbox. For the all-wheel-drive version, Toyota installed a Torsen center differential, but the car was available as a rear-wheel-drive only as well.