After six years of planning and product development, Toyota Australia’s full-size Tundra pickup is finally on sale, wearing a towering $155,990 price tag that makes it one of the most expensive utes available on the Australian market.

The US-sourced Tundras are converted from left to right-hand drive by Melbourne remanufacturing specialist Walkinshaw Automotive, who also handle the conversion of Tundra rivals RAM and Chevrolet Silverado.

Ford is the only one of the full-size ute players to not use Walkinshaw’s re-engineering services, with its F-150s converted by RMA Australia in a purpose-built facility also located in Melbourne.

It's the first time Toyota has worked with a third party to re-engineer a vehicle for right-hand drive, according to Toyota Australia, and final approval of the project was only recently granted by the company’s Japanese parent.

Unlike its other rivals, Toyota Australia put the Tundra through 12-month customer evaluation program, which saw a fleet of 300 prototypes leased to selected customers who have been evaluating and reporting on the vehicle’s performance in real-world conditions since September last year.

Those customers now have the opportunity to buy out their Tundra leases or to hand back the vehicles and order a new model.

The Tundra cuts an imposing figure on the road, measuring 5,955mm long, 2,040mm wide and 1,985mm tall, and sitting on a 3,700mm wheelbase.

Its immense chrome grille is flanked by T-shaped LED headlights featuring automatic high-beam technology.

Below the front grille is an active front spoiler that automatically deploys and retracts to improve aerodynamics and increase ground clearance in off-road terrain.

Along the vehicle sides, flared wheel arches house black-and-chrome finish 20-inch alloy wheels, with tube-style side steps to access the high-riding cabin.

At rear, the Tundra features a broad tailgate flanked by vertical LED light clusters, plus a rear bumper with integrated step to provide access to the cargo tub with its maximum payload of 758kg.

Under the Tundra’s metal skin is the same TNGA-F platform that underpins the both the LandCruiser 300 Series and recently launched LandCruiser Prado, although the wheelbase has been lengthened by 850mm compared to the 300 Series and the front and rear tracks are up to 70mm wider.

The Tundra’s front suspension features independent double wishbones, with the rear suspension comprising a four-link rigid axle with dual-rate coil springs.

Stopping power comes courtesy of 354mm ventilated front discs with four-piston calipers, while at the rear are 335mm ventilated discs with single-piston calipers.

The Tundra also boasts a full complement of safety technologies including ABS, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist and trailer sway control.

Other standard safety kit includes eight SRS airbags, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and oncoming vehicle detection ability, emergency steering assist, active cruise control, lane trace assist, lane departure alert, blind-spot monitor with cross traffic alert, parking support brake and front and rear parking sensors.

Power is supplied by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 mated to a parallel hybrid powertrain to deliver combined outputs of 326kW/790Nm, making the Tundra the most powerful vehicle ever offered by Toyota in Australia.

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It also gives the new ute a handy power and torque advantage over its key rivals.

Ford’s F-150 is powered by 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol V6 which pumps out a lower 298kW/678Nm. The RAM is currently powered by a 5.7-litre V8 that also produces a lower 291kW/556Nm, but the V8 is now in run-out and will soon be replaced by a facelifted RAM powered by a new 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six that punches out a heartier 313kW/636Nm in standard tune.

Then there is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which will be the last V8-powered full-size pickup available once the current-generation RAM V8s are sold, with its 6.2-litre V8 producing a gusty 313kW/624Nm.

The Tundra’s hybrid-V6 engine puts its power to the ground via a 10-speed automatic transmission and a part-time 4WD system, with a dual-range transfer case, all of which aid the hefty 4,500kg braked towing capacity.

Other towing-friendly inclusions are an integrated tow hitch, wiring harness, and 3,500kg-rated tow ball and tongue, and the Tundra also incorporates a trailer brake controller, two tow modes for varying loads, and a trailer back up guide that can autonomously control steering to assist when reversing. Also standard is a panoramic-view monitor and rear-view camera with guide lines displayed on a 14-inch touchscreen.

Elsewhere inside, the Tundra features spacious seating for up to five on synthetic leather seats, with the front pews offering eight-way electric adjustment, three-stage heating and ventilation, and power lumbar support.

Rear passengers can stretch out and enjoy the expansive legroom and headroom, with the rear seats split 60/40 and able to be folded forward, or the seat bases upwards, to provide more internal cargo area.

Other storage options throughout the cabin include a large glove box, centre console storage trays, big front and rear door bins with bottle holders and two front and two rear cupholders in the centre console.

The steering wheel is adjustable for both rake and reach and ahead of the driver is a large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster flanking a central analogue-style tachometer and digital speedometer.

The 14.0-inch touchscreen display provides access to the latest generation multimedia system with Bluetooth compatibility, AM/FM radio, voice recognition, and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto functionality.

A 12-speaker JBL premium audio system and wireless smartphone charger are standard, as are three front and two rear USB-C charging outlets.

While Toyota’s new full-size pickup is certainly well-specified, its $155,990 (MRLP) asking price is right up there compared with its rivals.

Ford offers its F-150 in entry-grade XLT and Lariat grades, with current driveaway offers from $106,990 for an MY23 XLT, and $139,990 for an MY23 Lariat.

The Hemi V8-powered RAM is currently in run-out with driveaway prices starting from $114,950 for a 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab, climbing to $157,900 for a 1500 Limited Crew Cab.

GMSV, meanwhile, will sell you a Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Cew Cab for $130,500, or the higher-spec ZR2 variant for $138,000 (MRLP).

Toyota’s cautious approach introducing the new model also means the Tundra is arriving fashionably late to the big ute party, with some of sizzle seemingly gone from the segment.

October sales figures reveal the category was down 3% versus last year, led by steep declines in the RAM 1500 (-49.5%), RAM 2500 (-31.9%) and RAM 3500 (-39.2%). That said, the RAM is in run-out, so these figures may be an aberration.

The Chevy Silverado and Ford F-150 are the main beneficiaries of RAM’s decline, with the Silverado up 14.7% on last year and the Silverado HD up 24.6%.

Ford’s F-150 only went on sale in November 2023, so year-on-year comparison sales data was not available, but the big F-Truck has notched up 1881 sales so far this year for a heathy 22.1% segment share, despite some high-profile recalls following its launch.

The full-size ute segment commands a much smaller market share than the established 4x4 dual-cab ute category dominated by HiLux and Ranger.

The big utes have notched up 8,530 sales as at October this year versus 173,369 for the HiLux-sized segment the latter, but the segment’s strong growth in recent years and its high profit margins continue to attract new players, including Ford and Toyota.

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