Toyota's First Right Steering Tundra Officially Marketed In Australia

Toyota Tundra Limited is officially sold in the Australian market (source: Toyota Australia)

Toyota is expanding its pickup model in the Australian market by launching Tundra after the manufacturer re-engineered and developed locally to turn it from a left steering wheel to a right steering wheel.

In launching this model, the manufacturer partnered with the Walkinshaw Automotive Group for a six-year planning and development program with vehicles sourced from the United States (US). The car is assembled at a Walkinshaw manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Australia.

Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley said the development plus customer evaluation program regarding this model had been carried out for 12 months while at the same time ensuring that Tundra could meet customer demands in the country.

"This is the first time Toyota has teamed up with third parties to re-engineer the vehicle for the right drive, so we need to make sure that the vehicle meets our high quality standards, and the result is something all parties can boast about," Hanley said on the Toyota Australia website, Wednesday, November 20.

Tundra has a length dimension of 5,955 mm, a width of 2,040 mm, a height of 1,985 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,700 mm. This pickup has a striking exterior design designed by Toyota North America's Calty Design Research studio in California and Michigan, USA.

The front has an eight-dimensional chrome bezel-shaped goal and is flanked by an LED front light cluster in the form of a T featuring automatic high beam technology.

At the bottom of the front goal, there is an active front spoiler that can automatically widen and stagnate based on driving conditions. This is useful in increasing aerodynamics and increasing ground clearance in the off-road field.

The side profile has a pelek arch that widens to accommodate a black 20-inch rim and chrome. Then, there is a tube side ladder that makes access to the front and rear doors easy.

Just like the front, the back also has a dashing look with a large vertical LED light cluster and a bumper with an integrated footing provides easy access to a large cargo tub that has a cargo of up to 758 kg.

The interior is equipped with a number of features such as a digital 12.3-inch screen that makes it easy to get information and tuning in the interior, audio, to analog-style tachyons.

It is installed along with a 14-inch touchscreen that can be accessed via Bluetooth, voice recognition, and connected to a wireless and Android Auto CarPlay with cables.

Built on the TNGA-F platform, Tundra has a hybrid engine of 3.5 liters twin-turbo V6 i-Force Max which sends large power and torque. Assisted by transmission of ten automatic accelerations, the car has a total output of 326 kW and a torque of 790 Nm.

The pickup has a number of driving modes, namely 2H by relying on two rear wheels for daily life, then 4H to provide maximum traction in slippery conditions, and 4L to increase torque and traction in heavy terrain.

Toyota Australia only offers the model with one variant, namely Limited worth 155,990 Australian dollars (Rp1,614 billion). This does not include an additional 675 Australian dollars (Rp6,986 million) for color optional.