Toyota fears bigger Sequoia is, well, too big

[mustang84]

Mark Rechtin | | Automotive News / October 9, 2006 - 1:00 am

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota's first-generation Sequoia was dinged for being smaller than other large SUVs. Now some Toyota executives fear that a much bigger Sequoia, which arrives next fall, swung too far the other way.

Sales of big SUVs are shrinking, and for more reasons than expensive gasoline. The bigger-is-better fad has passed, executives say. And the bigger Sequoia may arrive just as the party lets out.

"I worry about the Sequoia being too big and not having enough fuel economy, more than I do with the (redesigned) Tundra," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

(story continues at link) http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...t=EDITORSPICKS

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Honestly, what were they thinking was going to happen? Have they been watching sales of the Explorer, Expedition, and Tahoe lately? For the company that seemed to be hitting all the marks at the right time a couple years ago, it's amazing that they are making the same mistakes that Detroit was continually blasted for over the last five years.

[Satty]

I'll never get Japanese magazines. Whats with the woman with the cat in the Sequoia pic? And the guy with the fish. And is the dude in the lower left hand corner holding an elephant tusk?

[thegriffon]

That's not a cat

[FAPTurbo]

It's some sort of fox I think...

And where the does someone find a fish that huge in Japan?!

[Drew Dowdell]

isn't that just a photochopped tundra?

[Mr.Krinkle]

this is basically the japanese equivalent to the enquirer or weekly world news.

i took a few classes in japanese and im a little rusty but

the translation goes something like pointy ear cat dog mates with happy gigantic fish to produce lucky new super terrific toyota tundra.

you dont want to know what that guy is holding.

if toyota starts to push these trucks enough-- all the "friends" they made with the yaris' and prius are going to realize these trucks suck just as much gas and more than the competition.

and if the sequoia is as big and thirsty as it appears to be, they will have the best and worst on mpg. not as beneficent and hardly as environmentally concerned as theyd like us to believe. but those are the breaks when you have to be in every segment to take over the world.

its a double edged sword and it sounds like they were thinking about trying to pull it out.

[Variance]

isn't that just a photochopped tundra?

203425[/snapback]

Yes. Don't put too much stock into the future vehicle images in Japanese car mags; more often than not they aren't real/accurate.

[FAPTurbo]

    if toyota starts to push these trucks enough-- all the "friends" they made with the yaris' and prius are going to realize these trucks suck just as much gas and more than the competition. 

and  if the sequoia is as big and thirsty as it appears to be, they will have the best and worst on mpg.  not as beneficent and hardly as environmentally concerned as theyd like us to believe.  but those are the breaks when you have to be in every segment to take over the world.

its a double edged sword and it sounds like they were thinking about trying to pull it out.

203426[/snapback]

That's why I make a point to mention to every Prius driver and person who believes that Toyota is the only company that cares for the environment, that Toyota also manufactures gargantuan SUV's that get pretty piss poor fuel economy when compared to GM.

It often shuts them up, right there and then. Others argue, but I just pwn 'em with more facts ... dealer reps included.

[balthazar]

Toyota has a long history of being behind the 8-ball (and late) in the truck segment.

[pow]

The majority of Sequoias I see are used for the school run. A unibody crossover like the Outlook would sell better.

[Northstar]

The majority of Sequoias I see are used for the school run. A unibody crossover like the Outlook would sell better.

203451[/snapback]

Such as the NG Highlander, which I'm sure is growing? I doubt it will be as big as the Outlook but it's possible I suppose.

[buyacargetacheck]

he he he...

This is a cynical comment by Toyota in an attempt to:

#1 sound more American than Japanese ("our sin is that we made it too big, i.e. "American"), and

#2 explain ahead of time why it is that their new, bigger and "better" SUV bites the dust sales-wise

Don't mistake this for Toyota being candid.

[Satty]

That's not a cat

203416[/snapback]

Yeah, its some sort of fox or rodent or something, but still, its weird.

[Mr.Krinkle]

Yeah, its some sort of fox or rodent or something, but still, its weird.

203568[/snapback]

well what do you expect from a culture that brought us among other things

bura-sera?

id really like to know what those headlines say.

Edited October 11, 2006 by Mr.Krinkle

[prinzSD]

That's why I make a point to mention to every Prius driver and person who believes that Toyota is the only company that cares for the environment, that Toyota also manufactures gargantuan SUV's that get pretty piss poor fuel economy when compared to GM.

It often shuts them up, right there and then. Others argue, but I just pwn 'em with more facts  ... dealer reps included.

203431[/snapback]

Thats why I have fun with Prius owners. My lisence plate frame for my 93 Trans Am says

"thanks Prius more gas for my V8" and my plate reads "V8XLR8S". I know it is not politically correct, but why not have some fun. And oh, the Trans Am is now an occasional weekend car as I drive the Corolla to the train station for the commute wars. So I am doing my part in conserving fuel.

edit: spelling

Edited October 11, 2006 by prinzSD

[sciguy_0504]

Such as the NG Highlander, which I'm sure is growing? I doubt it will be as big as the Outlook but it's possible I suppose.

203458[/snapback]

It will be growing to compete with the Outlook segment.

Of course, this article does not provide hardcore facts so it's hard to tell whether or not the new Sequoia is too big. If it's the same size of the new Tahoe, obviously not. If fits between the Tahoe and the Suburban, which is where I'm guessing it will be, is that too big? It's all based on personal opinion.

[siegen]

"thanks Prius more gas for my V8"

That's pretty good.

[FAPTurbo]

"thanks Prius more gas for my V8" and my plate reads "V8XLR8S".

203663[/snapback]

I might go looking for that license plate frame...

Too bad my province only has six digits... or I may have had to copy your license number because that's pretty clever.

Edited October 12, 2006 by Captainbooyah

[ohsnap]

I'll never get Japanese magazines.  Whats with the woman with the cat in the Sequoia pic?  And the guy with the fish.  And is the dude in the lower left hand corner holding an elephant tusk?

203413[/snapback]

yeah........that's a weird picture, i love fishholder's expression though!