Tough Toyota Tundra tow vehicle coming

The 2025 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck will enter local showrooms this November following the greenlight officially being given by Toyota’s global HQ.

Destined to compete with the RAM 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ford F-150, the Tundra’s long-awaited introduction Down Under is the culmination of six years’ work by Toyota Australia and Walkinshaw Automotive, the former of which was particularly proud to make the announcement.

“Tundra is go. Our parent company has given Toyota Australia official approval to launch Tundra to retail customers in Australia,” local sales, marketing and franchise operations vice president Sean Hanley said, declaring it a “momentous” day.

“Tundra Limited will go on sale from mid-November.”

While there are already hundreds of Tundras on Aussie roads, all have been leased to select customers as part of an extensive development, engineering and evaluation program that was a first for Toyota.

From November, Australians will be able to buy the hybrid-powered pick-up truck outright – albeit with a price tag expected to hover around $150,000 plus on-road costs.

As with its prime American rivals, the Tundra leaves the factory in Indiana with the steering wheel on the left before being stripped down and rebuilt as a right-hand drive vehicle using LandCruiser 300 Series components.

“The go-ahead for this program is the culmination of an extensive development project,” Hanley said.

“It confirms that right-hand drive Tundra meets Toyota’s global standards for equality, durability and reliability.

“These are the same standards that apply to vehicles produced 100 per cent in the Toyota ecosystem.”

While such elaborate conversions are relatively common in the aftermarket, Toyota has never approved such a project that allows the car to be sold with a full factory warranty in a dealership.

Given the love for Toyota reliability in the bush, the Tundra is likely to prove a popular machine – and a sizeable heavy-hauling alternative to the LandCruiser.

“This announcement is the first time – in fact anywhere in the world – that we at Toyota have taken a vehicle built in a country that’s not Japan, exported it to a third country, re-engineered it with a local partner, undertaken final assembly in a non-Toyota factory and sold it as 100 per cent Toyota branded vehicle,” Hanley said.

The Tundra will initially be offered in Australia only as a well-specified Limited model with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 hybrid powertrain outputting a combined 326kW/790Nm.

Standard equipment includes synthetic leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone ventilation, wireless phone charging, and a 12-speaker JBL sound system.

There’s also a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14-inch infotainment screen incorporating Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

But in 2025 a new higher spec model will join the range, stepping the luxury up even further.

“It will appeal to buyers looking for a full-size pick-up truck with upscale comfort,” Hanley added.

Related: Toyota Tundra 2024 Tow Test