We head to the test track in a 2026 Sequoia with the new TRD kit, which adds 29 horsepower, to see how much it improves acceleration.
There's now a TRD Performance package available for the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia that boosts the power of the twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6.The kit includes upgraded air filters, exhaust plumbing, and an engine tune to add 29 horsepower to the hybrid-only Sequoia and 29–32 hp to the Tundra.
Our testing shows measurable acceleration gains with no real trade-offs, as the interior noise level and fuel economy are unchanged. Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions .After announcing a TRD Performance package for the Tundra at the 2023 SEMA show, Toyota quietly put it into production on the Tundra and the Sequoia. It's available on either hybrid or nonhybrid models, which are both powered by the twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 engine. On the Tundra, the $2999 option is only available on models with the largest CrewMax cab and 6.5-foot bed. On the hybrid-only Sequoia, it's available on any trim for $2299.We recently tested a Sequoia with the package, which adds a new center exhaust pipe—Tundras get a cat-back exhaust—TRD conical air filters, and an engine tune that boosts horsepower from 389 to 421 at the same 5200 rpm. Peak torque stays put at 479 pound-feet, but it comes 400 rpm earlier, at 2000 rpm versus 2400. Total combined output on the Sequoia is 466 hp and 583 pound-feet of torque, which your calculator will quickly point out is a gain of 29 hp total, rather than the 32-hp boost to the engine. Vehicles equipped with this package get a TRD Performance badge on the rear and a sticker on the inside of the fuel flap reminding the filler that the engine wants 91-octane-plus gasoline. Our best point of comparison is with a 2023 Sequoia Capstone we tested, which was also wearing 22-inch wheels and the same Bridgestone tires as this latest 2026 Capstone model. Curb weight on the TRD-equipped SUV was 6179 pounds, within seven pounds of the previous Sequoia we tested.On a power-to-weight basis, the extra horsepower would suggest a gain of 0.3 second in the quarter-mile, and we were able to coax this Sequoia down to a 14.1-second pass at 98 mph, an improvement of 0.2 second and 4 mph. The zero-to-60-mph time improved by a tenth to 5.5 seconds, and the rolling-start 5–60-mph acceleration improved by 0.4 second to 5.9 seconds. So, the extra power is clearly making itself known. The 50-to-70-mph passing time also improved significantly, from 4.3 to 3.9 seconds. Interestingly, the 30-to-50-mph time didn't show a similar improvement, but that has more to do with how long it takes to wake up the engine and downshift when flooring the throttle at 30 mph to start the run.The rest of the experience isn't changed much. While this 3.4-liter V-6 continues to be accompanied by an aggressively electronically enhanced low rumble and a lot of turbo blow-off noises, we measured the same 75 decibels at wide-open throttle as in the last Sequoia, and the same hushed 66 decibels at a 70 mph cruise. What's also no different with the TRD Performance package is the Sequoia's 20-mpg EPA combined fuel-economy rating, and we even got the same 16-mpg average in our mixed-but-typically-aggressive driving.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used Cars
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