Tough Toyota caravan hauler coming

It’s official: the Toyota Tundra is coming to Australia, where the Walkinshaw Automotive Group will be contracted to undertake a factory-backed right-hand drive conversion and development program.

However, Toyota is yet to confirm the release of its biggest ute in Australia, where no fewer than 300 prototypes will be deployed as part of the extensive re-engineering program, and instead says “an Australian [RHD] Tundra faces further checkpoints in Toyota’s global approval process before its retail introduction can be confirmed”.

With sales of full-size US pick-ups booming Down Under, the Tundra has been on Toyota Australia’s radar for several years now and it took on even more importance with the debut of the new-generation model in North America almost a year ago.

But it has long said its preference was for US factory RHD production – rather than a local RHD ‘remanufacturing’ program as per the RAM and Silverado, which are converted by Walkinshaw in Melbourne with factory backing – in order to maintain quality and keep costs down.

Clearly that’s all changed now with Walkinshaw being named as Toyota’s official RHD Tundra development partner, which will employ Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series components including the steering column, steering rack, pedals and shift lever to make the right-hook Tundra a reality.

The latest Toyota Tundra and LandCruiser both share the same TNGA-F ladder-frame architecture and various other hardware.

It turns out local Tundra engineering work has been going on for quite some time already, given a batch of early RHD prototypes will begin testing on public roads next month (hence this week’s announcement), before a fleet of no fewer than 300 converted Tundras is dispatched around the country in the fourth quarter of next year as part of the final development stage.

Given this timeframe, if the RHD Tundra conversion program is approved and the model is confirmed for Australia – and we expect it will, given the quality of Walkinshaw’s work with RAM and Chevrolet, the investment already undertaken and the profits at stake here – don’t expect to see a Tundra in your local showroom before mid-2024.

That would see put it a good 12 months or so behind the new Ford F-150, which will be locally-converted with Ford backing by Thai firm RMA and sold through Ford Australia dealers from mid-2023.

Unlike the Ford or the established RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado though, Toyota says our Tundra would be powered exclusively by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol hybrid powertrain, which explains Toyota’s local ‘i-FORCE MAX’ trademark application uncovered by carsales earlier in the year.

Said powertrain churns out a combined 325kW/790Nm in its North American application, meaning the big Toyota will be jettisoned straight to the top of the tables in a game of top trumps against its three biggest rivals Down Under… provided those outputs are maintained.

Given Toyota is touting the local re-engineering program as the most elaborate and in-depth of its kind, it’s more than likely this will be the case.

“This project shows just how serious we are at Toyota about quality, and a RHD Tundra will not be available for sale in Australia, until we are totally satisfied,” said Toyota Australia sales, marketing and franchise operations vice-president Sean Hanley in a press release today.

“We are really excited to get such a significant project to this stage, and look forward to seeing development prototypes on our roads and test tracks in the weeks and months ahead.”

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