Toyotas entry to the full size SUV class Sequoia was launched in the year 2000. After seven years, things have changed and car buyers are now shying away from large vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs. In order to make the Sequoia attractive to consumers despite the skyrocketing gas prices and the growing threat of global warming.

For the 2008 model year, the Toyota Sequoia has been redesigned and the result of was unveiled at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Sequoia is now built around a new chassis. It also boasts of a new interior designed to make motorists feel more comfortable inside the vehicle. On the outside, it was also changed to make it resemble the buffed up Tundra. In addition to that changes, Toyota also offers the 5.7-liter V8 engine also being used by the Toyota Tundra.

In response to the increasing price of gasoline, Toyota developed an engine for the SUV with fuel efficiency in mind. The new engine offered with the Sequoia is coupled to a six-speed transmission. The mating of the engine and the transmission provides plenty of power to the Sequoia while still having good fuel economy.

In designing the Sequoia, chief engineer Motoharu Araya went as far as living with an American family which owns a full size SUV. He did this for him to be bale to get an idea of what Americans want on their SUVs. He studied how Americans integrate their SUVs to their lifestyle. He also circulated a questionnaire over the Internet to ask consumers what they want on their full size SUVs. Even the location of the fuel filler caps is considered in the study.