Toyotas are ubiquitous in Australia, with everything from Camrys and Corollas through to the legendary 4WD LandCruisers near-omnipresent on our roads and bush tracks.
But there are some Toyotas that are sold – and popular – overseas but aren’t offered in the Australian market, and if they are offered here they haven’t achieved the sales success Toyota has hoped for. Case in point: the Tundra, while it’s much loved in the good ol’ US of A, it has achieved only middling success here.
The Tundra’s sales struggle here have somewhat discouraged Toyota from bringing any other overseas models here and that’s a real shame because there are some appealing vehicles in that mix.
Read on.
Toyota 4Runner
Much respected in off-roading circles, the 4Runner – think a Surf/Fortuner mash-up on HGH (Hard-core Growth Hormone) – has been around in various iterations since 1984. Now in its sixth generation, the 4Runner comes with a 2.4L turbocharged inline four-cylinder petrol engine (204kW and 430Nm), or a 2.4L turbocharged inline four-cylinder hybrid powertrain (240kW and 630Nm), both matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
It’s a Toyota off-roader – with part-time or full-time 4WD, drive modes and diff locks – so it’s handy in the dirty stuff, of course.
Australia doesn’t need another 4WD, but the 4Runner wouldn’t go astray here.
Prices in the US start from MSRP $42,270 (approx. AUD $58,700).
Toyota Sequoia
Not as well known here, the Sequoia is a well established large SUV in the US market.
This large SUV – top-spec versions tip the scales at 2790kg – is more open-road cruiser than hard-core 4WD but, having said that, it still has the mechanicals and tech onboard to traverse difficult terrain.
The 2026 Sequoia is equipped with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 hybrid (321kW and 790Nm), matched to a 10-speed auto, and is rated to legally tow up to 4309kg.
Mid-range variants and upwards have part-time 4WD (with high- and low-range 4WD) and an automatic limited-slip differential.
The Sequoia may struggle to find a niche here as stablemate Cruiser has that part of the market sewn up.
Feeling posh? Go for the Trailhunter package, replete with an Old Man Emu upgraded suspension, Michelin LTX Trail 265/70R18 tyres, bronze-finished wheels, front recovery hooks and extra underbody protection.
Prices in the US start from MSRP $68,725 for an SR5 4WD (approx. AUD $95,456).
Toyota FJ LandCruiser
Like a baby 300 Series, only better – or at least that’s what Toyota wants you to believe.
Launched in May this year, this diminutive five-seater FJ – with a 270mm shorter wheelbase than the 250 Series – has a 2.7-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine (producing 120kW and 246Nm), a six-speed auto, part-time 4WD and an electric rear differential lock.
It’s boxy and compact – it has a turning circle of 5.5m – and looks set to take on the likes of Suzuki’s Jimny in the cute-but-capable off-road stakes.
A Cruiser-based but shrunken ladder-frame structure is the platform for this tough-seeming little nugget of an off-roader.
Off-road angles are up there with the 250 Series and, on paper, this FJ has plenty of off-road potential.
Sure, this mini Cruiser exists in a niche within a niche but we reckon it’d sell here.
Prices in Japan start from 4,500,100 yen (about $40,100).
Toyota Tacoma
Massive in America and well suited to outdoorsy life in Australia, the Tacoma is a big ute made for rough-and-tumble work and play, so why it hasn’t landed here yet its beyond us.
Now available with a 2.4-litre turbocharged inline-four engine (producing up to 204kW and 430Nm) or a 2.4-litre turbocharged inline-four hybrid powertrain (producing up to 239kW and 630Nm) that’s matched to either a six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed automatic transmission.
It’s built on the same chassis as the full-size Tundra and Sequoia, and gains bolstering from a Toyota New Global Architecture-F (TNGA-F) platform of high-strength steel, lightweight aluminium and laser welds. So, robust.
And, of course, it’s all packed into a ute with Toyota’s reliable baked-in off-road effectiveness.
TRD variants and upwards get Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control, and an electronically controlled locking rear differential as standard.
Go for a Trailhunter and you get Old Man Emu 2.5-inch forged monotube position-sensitive shocks with rear piggyback reservoirs, high-clearance front bumper, rock rails and ARB steel rear bumper with recovery hooks, and 33-inch rugged-terrain tires with 18-inch wheels.
We know lots of people in Australia who jump at the chance to own one of these big utes.
Prices in the US start from MSRP $32,545 (approx. AUD $45,203).
Toyota HiLux Champ
A ute actually designed and engineered to do ute stuff? No way.
The HiLux Champ – a Thailand-only vehicle – is an intriguing oddity that’s sure to fire the imagination of many a quirky car fan there and abroad.
It’s a 2WD two-seater ute with a choice of three engine types – 2.0L petrol, 2.7L petrol, or a 2.4L four-cylinder diesel – and it has either a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic transmission.
Depending on your Champ’s spec level it may have a one-tonne payload and a minimum 5.4m turning circle.
Toyota Motor Thailand (TMT) offers eight grades of the Champ, including short- and long-wheelbase versions, and an unequipped variant with a flat deck is available.
With customisation in mind, TMT has made sure the deck has bolt holes at various locations so that custom accessories can be attached.
It’s built for purpose and, on paper, certainly has a lot of appeal as a work ute and a mod-friendly vehicle.
The Champ would fit right in here.
Prices range from 459,000 to 577,000 baht (approx. $19,354 to $24,329).
