…is exactly what the designers of the 2009 Toyota Sequoia were hoping people would feel when they drive the latest market inception from Toyota. “Strong and Comfortable” is how Toyota describes the Sequoia - named after the largest trees in the world - and it fits the criteria with merit. The Sequoia is Toyota's answer as a ‘tweener' model between the Chevy Tahoe and the GMC Yukon XL. Based roughly on the Toyota Tundra, it is a redesign from the 2000-2001 model introduced in the US and features the largest interior space in its class - far outpacing the Nissan Armada. On the outset it is evident the Sequoia is designed for long-distance urban driving, aka directions that don't include ‘turn left after the swamp.' The interior space gives the more horizontally-enhanced amongst us plenty of room to be seated comfortably in the presence of others - a far cry from most vehicles on the market today. In many SUVs interior space is limited - think the H2 or the Chevy Tahoe - but the Sequoia, a giant on the roads, features 5.07 cubic meters of interior volume. This may not mean much to most of us so to use a comparison, the Chevy Tahoe has 4.50 cubic meters of interior volume while the Nissan Armada - the largest of the class – offers 4.86 cubic meters. Handling and acceleration are important for a vehicle this size and girth, but thankfully the Sequoia is able to excel at both of these. Whether the person manning the wheel is a driver or a car-buff, neither will be dissatisfied by how the car responds nor by how effortlessly it glides through the potholed moonscape streets of Jeddah. The trend amongst high-end SUVs is seemingly to give them assisted driving capabilities where the car's built-in computer adjusts the car to lean or balance the weight of the vehicle to smoothen out the ride. The Sequoia does none of that, which is a huge plus for a vehicle of its size. Old-fashioned drivers amongst us enjoy feeling the road as the vehicle moves and with the gargantuan size of the Sequoia, there are arguments both for and against being able to feel the car shift. Its sheer size would make it important for the driver to feel the car react more organically but at the same time its size dictates that the driver be more concerned with the road. In addition, the handling is smooth - really smooth - and the acceleration leaves no questions asked once the pedal is pushed. The V8 engine delivers power when it is needed. Many vehicles in this class struggle with low-end torque, which is required when trying to overtake inconsiderate motorists or that water tanker that just-won't-get-out-of-your-way. Building a car this size always creates a problem in situations requiring any form of reversing, vis-à-vis blind spots and just the general inability to judge distances with such a large back-end. The Sequoia has none of these problems. The Tundra design, featuring a very relatively unobstructed side exterior, combined with activate-able sensors, leaves very little to worry about when backing out of tight spaces with the Sequoia. The horn, however, leaves quite a bit to be desired standing as a testament to the fact that some things should just not be replaced by digital design. The only real way to describe it would be as a cross between R2-D2 and a rather disgruntled fax machine. Not really the macho sound you want coming out of a car that big. What's more worrying is how the engineers thought this sound would match the size of the car. Were they told to design a horn for a clown car? The evidence points to a resounding yes, unfortunately. The Sequoia isn't intended for off-roading unlike its cousin the Land Cruiser. At its launch it was fully admitted to being designed as an on-road vehicle to differ from the Land Cruiser which was designed to function primarily as an off-road vehicle. Despite being more road-friendly the Sequoia performs relatively well off-road, if you don't mind feeling the ground knocking back at your feet as you slush through soft sand. With exposed running boards and very minor skid-plate protection underneath, some hectic off-roading could prove costly. Let's face it, if someone owns a car this size, it's eventually going to meet the sand. Sequoia's release in the GCC only features a 2-wheel drive capability at present, because its purpose is to be the road-friendlier version of the Land Cruiser. In the US, some of the model options include a full-time 4-wheel drive featuring a transfer case with a low gear range for the off-roading aficionado. Another option is a central locking feature which can redirect the most torque to the wheel with the most traction so as not to waste horsepower on wheels not holding firm on the terrain. Toyota have said the full-time 4-wheel drive version of the Sequoia has a date planned for inception into the Saudi market but they have not announced definite plans as of yet. In the model's features, options ranging from rear-seat entertainment system boasting a nine-inch LCD display in the back of every seat and a premium 14-speaker audio system from JBL, the Sequoia is ideal for those transporting several ‘are we there yet' children or several adults afflicted with ADHD. A big minus for the Sequoia is its lack of a cruise-control system, which for a vehicle designed for long trips seems a fairly poor option. During its launch Toyota executives said the cruise-control feature was removed due to climate factors. Then again, having three tons of steel on auto-pilot probably isn't the best option. Amongst the options in the Limited and Platinum editions, the third row of seats comes with an option of power-folding. But one interesting function on all three models, is the option to lower the rear windshield using a button located to the bottom left of the steering wheel. Now its real use is suspect, but it does conjure up some ultra-cool points for being able to slide effortlessly into the body of the trunk door, giving it a very Bond-esque/geek appeal, should you need release Russian commandos once you get overly involved in your music thanks to the surround sound system blasting Bond tunes into your cochlea. Its double-wishbone front suspension allows the Sequoia to tow up to 3,628 kilograms and the 5.7 liter V8 engine - harnessed to a six-speed automatic - gives the Sequoia all of 381 horsepower, which is plenty of power to haul a larger-than-average trailer or simply to exile a lane-stealing taxi from your periphery. The US Environmental Protection Agency rates the Sequoia at 5.9km/l for city driving and 8.1km/l but in road tests that mileage varied greatly mostly on the bottom end of the estimate. For all its knick-knacks the Sequoia scores points on functionality and strong handling but loses points on a poorly designed console and a perpetually aggravating claxon. One undeniably interesting feature is just how high up the vehicle makes you feel, quite literally dwarfing water-tankers as you drive by at a frighteningly close eye
