Toyota has announced the next stage of its Tundra development program that will see potential customers invited to be part of the Tundra Insider Program from 1 September with the first vehicle deliveries in December.
- Tundra Insider Program customer evaluation program to start from December
- 300 Tundras to be available for potential customers offered on a Full-Service Lease
- Potential customers to be selected based on criteria including location and planned usage
Tundra evaluation program
Under the program, Toyota will offer 300 potential customers the opportunity to lease a Tundra as part of a real-world evaluation and validation program.
Customers will be free to use their Tundra as they would in everyday use and will be required to provide feedback to Toyota on their experience with the vehicle through regular dealer check-ins.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the Tundra Insider Program was a vital part of the development of the right-hand drive Tundra.
“We know there is a growing demand in Australia for full size pickups and we are keen to make Tundra available to all Australians, but we need to ensure it meets their needs and the demands of our diverse Australian environment,” Mr Hanley said.
“We have been testing and evaluating the re-engineered right-hand drive Tundra for the past 12 months and are confident it more than meets our exacting quality, durability and reliability standards and we are looking forward to receiving feedback from potential customers,” he said.
Toyota partner Walkinshaw Automotive Group
The first 50 vehicles are currently being converted to right hand drive by Toyota partner Walkinshaw Automotive Group and are expected to be delivered to selected Tundra Insider Program participants by mid-December 2023
In order to ensure the most comprehensive evaluation program and effective feedback and data collection, those first 50 potential customers will be carefully selected by 15 dealers across the country.
These dealers are based in diverse locations from Perth to Port Headland in WA, Alice Springs and Darwin in the NT, and several sites from Adelaide to Cairns along the eastern seaboard.
The dealers will use their own customer databases to contact potential applicants for the Tundra Insider Program to explain the program and ascertain their interest.
Each dealer will then submit a shortlist of potential applicants based on their meeting the selection criteria in respect to such things as location, occupation, and planned usage including towing and on/off-road environments to Toyota Australia for final selection.
Once the first 50 applicants are confirmed, the Tundra Insider Program will be opened up to a broader range of dealers with the remaining 250 Tundras to be converted to right hand drive over the next eight months and deliveries expected to be complete by the end of April 2024.
Customers will be offered the Tundra Limited on a Toyota Finance Australia Full-Service Lease that includes all servicing, registration and insurance for the life of the lease.
Toyota Tundra Mild Hybrid details
The Tundra is a full-size dual cab pickup featuring a hybrid 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 that generates 326kW of power and 790Nm of torque1.
Mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, it uses a part-time 4WD system with dual range transfer case and offers a huge 4.5 tonne braked towing capacity1.
As a Limited grade, the Tundra will be very well equipped with synthetic leather seats – heated and ventilated at the front with power adjustment for the driver – 14-inch multimedia touchscreen with JBL®2 audio system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and dual zone climate control.
Converting the vehicle to right hand drive involves far more than simply moving the steering wheel and pedals.
Together with Walkinshaw Automotive Group, Toyota has significantly re-engineered the vehicle with new or modified components including the steering rack, instrument panel firewall, headlights, cabling, harnesses, front seats, carpet and trim, with many of the new components sourced from Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
Notes
1 Vehicle specifications and features are based on overseas model. Australian specifications and features may differ
2 Product & company names are trademarks of their respective owners
