TOYOTA HAS EXPANDED ITS FULL-SIZE pick-up Tundra range with the new flagship Platinum grade now on sale through Toyota dealerships across the country.
The new Platinum grade joins the Tundra Limited version that went on sale to the general public in November 2024, following a six-year Toyota world-first development program to locally re-engineer the US-built pick-up for Australia’s right-hand drive environment.
The Tundra Platinum is distinguished by a number of exterior styling enhancements, and a significant increase in luxury interior appointments including leather-accented upholstery, front massaging seats, and heated and ventilated rear outboard seats.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the addition of the new Platinum grade to the Tundra lineup demonstrated Toyota’s commitment to providing a full range of vehicles that cater to all Australians’ needs and tastes.
“When we first proposed our Tundra program to locally re-engineer the US-built full size pick-up to right-hand drive, we knew it was not going to be an easy process, given Toyota had never done anything like it anywhere else in the world,” Mr Hanley said.
“But we knew, working with our partners at Walkinshaw, that we could achieve full Toyota-quality standards and the two-model lineup that we now have is testimony to that.
“The Tundra remains a niche product in our lineup but for those Australians that desire the size, power and performance of a full-size pick-up to meet their work or lifestyle needs, we are proud to say we can offer them a premium product built to the highest standards,” he said.
The Toyota Tundra is the largest and most powerful vehicle in the local Toyota Australia lineup and is produced in partnership with Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) at its production facility in Melbourne.
Toyota worked in partnership with WAG to undertake the development and re-engineering of the US-manufactured left-hand drive Tundra to the highest Toyota quality standards using many original equipment parts and components from existing Toyota 4WD vehicles and OEM suppliers.
Measuring 5955mm long and 2040mm wide, the full-size pick-up delivers an imposing presence on the road with the performance to match.
Both grades share the i-FORCE MAX powertrain that combines a 290kW/649Nm 3.5-litre twin turbo V6 petrol engine with a 36kW/250Nm electric motor generator in a parallel hybrid system to deliver a combined maximum power of 326kW and peak torque of 790Nm.
Power is delivered to a part-time, four-wheel drive system with a dual range transfer case through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
In two-wheel drive mode, torque is sent to the rear wheels and distributed across an automatic limited slip differential, while high and low-range four-wheel drive provide greater traction in slippery terrain.
Both Tundra grades also offer a braked towing capacity of 4500kg with standard fitment of an integrated tow hitch, wiring harness and 3500kg-rated tow ball and tongue.
The Tundra also offers two towing modes to tailor performance and controllability depending on the load, a manual trailer brake controller with 10 selectable adjustments, and a trailer back up guide that can autonomously control the steering when reversing.
The Tundra sits on Toyota’s TNGA-F ladder frame platform that is shared with the LandCruiser 300 Series and new LandCruiser Prado providing strength and stability.
With a wheelbase of 3700mm, it is 850mm longer, with front and rear tracks up to 70mm wider, than the LandCruiser 300 Series, while the front double wishbone suspension and rear four-link rigid axle suspension provides a superb balance of ride comfort and handling.
The electric power steering comes courtesy of the LandCruiser 300 Series and offers superb control and feel with big ventilated disc brakes (354mm front and 335mm rear) providing stable and effective stopping power.
Given the Tundra’s size and power, safety performance was a high priority with both versions featuring a comprehensive suite of Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance technologies including pre-collision safety system with day and night detection of pedestrians and oncoming vehicles and daytime cyclist detection.
Other standard assistance technologies include emergency steering assist, active cruise control, lane trace assist, lane departure alert and automatic high beam.
Further safety features include blind-spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors and a panoramic view monitor, with Platinum grade receiving a 10.9inch head up display.
Inside, both grades of the Tundra offer a huge interior space for passengers with the 60/40-split rear seat able to easily accommodate three large adults in comfort.
The Tundra Limited features black synthetic leather upholstery with eight-way power adjustment and two-way power lumbar adjustment, and heating and ventilation for the front seats.
The Tundra Platinum raises the luxury stakes further with a combination of blue and black genuine leather trim, 10-way power adjustment for the front passenger, four-way power adjustment and massaging function for the front seats, and heating and ventilation for the outboard rear seats.
Both grades also feature a power sliding rear glass and power tailgate, with the Platinum adding power steering column adjustment and a heated steering wheel.
Providing the ultimate in entertainment and information whether for long journeys across country or short trips around town is Toyota’s multimedia system with Bluetooth compatibility, AM/FM radio, voice recognition, and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto functionality – all displayed on a huge 14-inch touchscreen.
A 12-speaker JBL premium audio system and wireless smartphone charger further enhance the tech-rich cabin of the Tundra while there are plenty of charging ports for personal devices with three front and two rear USB-C outlets.
With the extensive development and re-engineering process having been validated under Toyota’s strict quality standards, the Tundra is fully covered by the Toyota Warranty Advantage.
This includes a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty period, along with five years of capped price servicing at $450 per service over intervals of 6 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
TOYOTA TUNDRA PRICING
Limited: $155,990
Platinum: $172,990
Optional paint: $675