Toyota Tundra News

Since the day the first Ram Truck arrived in Australia it feels like there has been a growing chorus of people looking to get US-style pickups (or utes, as we call them) banned.Some have argued they are simply too big for Australian roads, but the primary reason for this has been safety.ANCAP in particular has taken an interest in US utes, creating a specific testing program to assess the merits of the Active Driver Safety Assistance (ADAS) systems of the likes of the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series.The concern from ANCAP and other anti-American ute campaigners is that these bigger vehicles create a more dangerous environment for pedestrians and cyclists. But I find this argument a bit strange and, frankly, the entire movement against these types of vehicles potentially opens up the question of mandating what people can and can’t drive - which is very problematic in my personal opinion.Now, don’t get me wrong, I would not like a Tundra to crash into me crossing the street. But I also wouldn’t want a Toyota Yaris to run over me either. I’m sure the Tundra might do a bit more damage, but I feel like any impact between car and pedestrian is going to leave the pedestrian worse off.But the last time I checked our roads were filled with light trucks, like the Fuso Canter, Iveco Daily and Hino 300 Series as well as the odd heavy truck and the occasional bus (sarcasm intended). Obviously there is a difference between a bus and a pickup truck in terms of its role within society, but simply saying one is a danger to our roads while ignoring the other is disingenuous, at best.Why is it ok for someone to drive a Canter for their delivery business but not drive an F-150 for a weekend away camping when they have to tow a large caravan. Or why are we ok with someone driving a Hino in the city but not a Tundra pulling a horse float.To be fully transparent, I don’t really like these types of utes. I don’t think they make a lot of sense if you live in a major city. My brother used to live in Oklahoma and every driveway had some sort of Tundra/Silverado/1500/F-150 and they made perfect sense there. The roads are nice and wide and every shop has US-sized parking lots, and very few are multi-storey parking either.I am the definition of a ‘city-slicker’, I've spent my entire life in the city and suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, and I have no caravan, horse float or similar that requires towing, so the idea of trying to live with such a big ute makes no sense to me.When I have tested these utes, even living with them for a week is challenging, because they simply do not fit everywhere. I find myself googling the maximum height of every car park I plan on visiting - and they don’t always fit.But while they aren’t for me, I find the very idea of banning or even campaigning against a car because it doesn’t suit your personal lifestyle a dangerous path to tread. Obviously the government needs to dictate certain safety requirements, but I don’t think many of us want the government saying what size of car we are allowed to drive.Because by that logic, and the argument that US utes are more dangerous than Australian-sized ones, then SUVs should be a major focus of safety groups. The modern SUV is designed for urban use, not going off-road like the original concept. A Toyota Yaris does the exact same job as a Yaris Cross but is taller and therefore, arguably, not as safe for pedestrians. Something like a BMW X5 is obviously taller and has a bigger frontal area than a 5-Series sedan. So why aren’t we banning urban-focused SUVs?Because nobody wants to be told what they can and can’t drive, it leads us down a slippery slope of government over-regulation and ultimately denies us choice depending on our lifestyle and needs.So before you throw stones at a US-sized ute, take a look at what’s in your driveway…

Toyota is getting serious about off-roading for its big ute. The updated Toyota Tundra hybrid full-size ute has been revealed with a special 'Trailhunter' package to boost its adventuring capabilities in the US.With this package, the car rides on specialist Michelin trail tyres and premium upgraded suspension from 4WD brand ARB. Upgrades under the skin include new off-roading features such as multi-terrain select with traction support, a crawl control and a locking rear differential.The Tundra has sharpened up its look from the outside, with an aggressively-poised stance and front recovery hooks. It has a brighter grille-mounted LED light bar. The ute can be purchased with powerful fog lights to further increase visibility. The Tundra will continue to offer vehicle-to-load capabilities via a 2.4kW inverter, enabling appliances and devices to be powered directly from the car.  Headlining the technology buff inside the cabin is a bigger 14.0-inch central touchscreen.Enhanced software capabilities offer a more intuitive smartphone-like design.This includes customisable home screen widgets and an improved voice assistant. The update also add a built-in dash cam that can monitor and record incidents for up to 20 seconds. Full details of Toyota’s new Tundra will be announced in September ahead of its North American launch.There is no official news yet on its potential Australian future.A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said the brand is always look at global updates for its models, but there is nothing to announce on the Tundra front yet. The Tundra has been on sale in Australia since late 2024 as a rival to other American imports the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500.The US-built undergoes an extensive remanufacturing process to convert it to right-hand drive for local roads, mirroring its competitors.The Tundra is an expensive choice in Australia, starting from $155,990, before on-road costs.It is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 plug-less hybrid set-up, producing 326kW and 790Nm.The Tundra has been subject to an aggressive advertising and pricing campaign over the past few months in Australia. It has experienced an improved 2026, with a near 50 per cent sales increase up to June 2026 compared to June 2025.

Toyota has issued an urgent recall for its Tundra ute in Australia.It concerns a specific issue with 1199 local examples of the full-size pick-up manufactured between 1 May 2023 and 19 December 2024.These vehicles are equipped with a potentially faulty towing converter relay responsible for controlling vehicle and trailer rear lamps.Toyota said a wire within this relay may not be sufficiently insulated, which exposes the terminal pin, leading to the cabin back panel, which is a vital electrical component, shorting in some instances. This causes the brake lights to become inoperative and for the brake override warning message to be displayed."Inoperative stop lights may cause other drivers to be unaware when an involved vehicle is braking, increasing the risk of a collision which may result in injury or death," the brand's notice read.The car will also not turn on again once it has been turned off as part of the smart start system that prevents the car from being driven if the brake lights are not functioning. There is an emergency start procedure that can be used. Toyota said this issue does not affect other models within its lineup. A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said there have been three reported incidents of the issue occurring.The brand will contact affected owners to book a dealer appointment and rectify the issue for free.The procedure of reworking the terminal pin and re-insulating the wire to the main wire harness will take roughly an hour, according to Toyota. The hybrid Tundra competes with other full-size pick-ups like the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500 for sales in Australia. It has experienced a solid sales increase in 2026, but remains a comparatively low-volume model for Toyota. 

It is that time of the year again when car brands target a last flurry of sales before the end of the financial year. These deals often tell a story of what stock brands need to move, and in a time when electric vehicle sales are more important than ever there are some strong deals on show. Here is a look at some of the best ones going around in 2026.Kia is offering discounts across many of its models, with the most noticeable one being for its struggling Tasman ute. The range-topping X-Pro Tasman now starts from $64,990 (drive-away), equating to a more than $10,000 discount on before on-road costs pricing. The deal is available until the 30 June 2026. Kia’s strong-selling EV3 and EV5 have also picked up sizeable drive-away discounts ending 30 June 2026. The EV3 is available from $46,990 (drive-away), which equates to free on-road costs, as well as a further small discount.The EV5 has received an even more substantial discount, starting from $49,990 (drive-away), with it previously available from $56,770, before on-road costs. Hyundai has also put out some standout deals, especially on its electric range. But you'll need to move fast, with the offer ending on May 31, 2026.The brand’s Kona Electric range all have substantial discounts, with a starting price of $45,990 (drive-away).The recently-launched Elexio SUV is available from $57,990 (drive-away), with it previously on sale from $58,990, before on-road costs. The Ioniq 5 is another of Hyundai’s models being offered with a noticeable discount, starting from $71,990 (drive-away) until 31 May 2026. MG is currently offering discounts across its range to conclude the financial year, with all deals running until 30 June, 2026. One of the biggest deals offered by the brand is a $6000 cashback offer on plug-in hybrid variants of its mid-size HS SUV.Petrol and plug-less hybrids examples are available with a $3000 cashback offer, which is also available on the QS large SUV and the U9 ute. Additionally, these $3000 cashback deals include five years of free servicing on the vehicles. There are also minor conditional discounts on the ZS small SUV and MG3 hatch currently. BYD is offering $3000 cashback on several of its models in Australia for vehicles delivered by 30 June 2026. The Premium variant of the popular Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute gets the deal, and is now available from $54,900 (before on-road costs). Both variants of the Sealion 5 PHEV mid-size SUV, are also eligible, meaning it starts from $30,990 (before on-road costs). The Sealion 6 and Sealion 8 PHEV SUVs are available with the $3000 cashback offer. Chery is another brand to get in on the end of financial year deals. Its Tiggo 7 plug-in hybrid large SUV has discounts of $5000, now starting from $34,990 (drive-away). The hugely popular Tiggo 4 small hybrid SUV and Tiggo 8 plug-in hybrid large SUV are being offered with a $2000 factory bonus discount. Offers run until 30 June 2026.Ford has substantially reduced the price of its plug-in hybrid Ranger lineup, with it now starting from $62,000 (drive-away) down from $71,990 (before on-road costs) until 30 June 2026. This price cut brings it closer to the price of the rival BYD Shark 6, which retails from $57,900 (before on-road costs).Some variants of the diesel Ranger are also being offered with sharp drive-away deals. Toyota’s full-size Tundra hybrid ute has received a more than $10,000 discount for models from 2025 as part of a deal to remove on-road costs and add a cashback offer. This means the ute is now available from $145,990 (drive-away). The offer lasts until June 30 2026. 

Toyota has slashed the price on some of its Tundra full-size pick-up models in Australia. The brand is offering its Tundra units from the 2025 model year without on-road costs and as well as a $10,000 cashback offer. Before on-road costs pricing for the Tundra starts from $155,900, with the top grade variant costing $172,990, so this deal represents a sizeable drop. The deal lasts until the 30th of June this year. The brand is looking to clear out stock of its older Tundra units, with the 2026 Tundra model now in showrooms. Ford is also offering a stock-clearing deal on its rival F-150 pick-up. Its 2024 model year stock is available from $115,000 (drive-away), which essentially cuts out the on-road costs.The Tundra has had a tough battle up against its rivals such as the F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pick-ups, trailing all three in the sales charts. This latest price cut is part of a broader plan from the brand to increase its competitiveness in the market. The Tundra has been subject to several big advertising campaigns in the past few months, and the brand told CarsGuide last month it remained confident of making inroads in the segment. “The Tundra is a great truck. I get a lot of feedback from reviewers or customers about the performance of the vehicle,” Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing John Pappas said.  “The fact is that we need to get the awareness out there, and that's really our prime motive right now. And then we're very confident that once people are aware of it and they test drive it, then we're confident that it will be successful.”The Tundra has a 3.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor as part of a plugless hybrid set-up, producing 326kW and 790Nm. This is a similar set-up to the one introduced on the recently-unveiled hybrid LandCruiser.  

If you feel like you’ve seen Toyota pumping up its campaign for the Tundra, you’re not imagining things.The 2026 Toyota Tundra is being advertised more widely after its proper launch, with the full-size American ute appearing regularly on TV ads, particularly during AFL games with Toyota the major sponsor.Toyota admits the advertising push is simply due to its full-size ute not making the big waves it had hoped for upon its arrival.In 2024, when the Tundra was ‘soft-launched’ with participating customers rather than taken to a full retail launch, Toyota Australia’s then-Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, told media he believed the Tundra was “going to have a good start, no problem”.But at the launch of the new Toyota RAV4, Hanley’s replacement as Toyota’s VP, John Pappas, told CarsGuide the reception to the Tundra has been generally positive, but awareness of the model hasn’t met expectations.“The feedback we were getting on Tundra was that it was only a personal import, and because we haven't brought in Tundra under the official distributor route for a long time… now we've noticed that awareness of the vehicle being an official vehicle across the dealer network has been very low.“So that's why you've seen the increased advertising and awareness, because we've got a job to do there, to make people aware that they can walk into a local dealer and actually go and have a test drive.“We did a massive activation over the Gather Round weekend together with the AFL on the Tundra, where we drove vehicles from Victoria to South Australia, and we had an activation at the Gather Round.“And so we're trying to do a lot. We've got the Supercars going on where we've got Tundra also there. So we're trying to do a lot to raise awareness. But it is going to take us some time.”So far, the Tundra hasn’t exactly put the full-size ute, or pick-up, market on notice. Its 2025 figures saw its 837 sales just beat the Ford F-150 (792), the latter down massively on the previous year (2428) as it has been beset by quality issues and pauses on sales.In the first quarter of 2026, the Tundra’s 262 put it well behind its peers the Chevrolet Silverado (462), Ram 1500 (545) and, yes, even the F-150 (577) which has snuck into first place for the year so far.When asked if more awareness of the Tundra will make it properly competitive with its US compatriots, Pappas told CarsGuide “absolutely”.“The Tundra is a great truck. I get a lot of feedback from reviewers or customers about the performance of the vehicle.“The fact is that we need to get the awareness out there, and that's really our prime motive right now. And then we're very confident that once people are aware of it and they test drive it, then we're confident that it will be successful.”

Toyota is reportedly readying a full-blown, off-road-ready rival to the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX.The Japanese carmaker has submitted a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the name TRD Hammer.It’s understood the name could be applied to a new flagship, off-road-ready version of the full-size Tundra pick-up to sit above the existing TRD Pro.This follows a survey that was sent out to Tundra owners in the US, as shared on the Tundras.com owner forum, asking them to rank a series of names for a future vehicle.The list of names included TRD Baja, TRD Iron, TRD Pro-S, TRD Hammer, TRD Bizurk and TRD Quake.In order to rank the names, survey recipients were given the following description – ”This high-performance truck package is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring long-travel suspension and 37” all-terrain tyres. With the truck’s unique wide fenders, high-clearance bumpers, and a powerful engine, it achieves exceptional off-road capability and performance.”We mightn’t have to wait long for this new, off-road-ready version of the Tundra to be revealed as at least one camouflaged prototype has already been spied in the US, featuring what appears to be all the above points.At this stage now other official details have been confirmed about this forthcoming off-road-ready Tundra.It’s unclear whether it will feature a different engine or if it will still receive the 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 i-Force Max hybrid engine that’s available elsewhere in the line-up. It could be tuned to produce more power and torque, though the current version already produces 326kW and 790Nm.If it does feature the same engine, this could make the Tundra TRD Hammer more of a rival to the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2.This isn’t the first time Toyota has hinted at creating a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX rival.In 2021 the Japanese carmaker showed off the TRD Desert Chase Tundra concept that was created for the SEMA show.It featured 18-inch forged aluminium wheels wrapped in 37-inch all-terrain tyres, TRD-designed long-travel suspension, a wide-body kit, as well as a number of other accessories and features to make it appear ready to be a desert racing support vehicle.If the Tundra TRD Hammer does end up being revealed, it’s unclear if it will ever come to Australia.The Toyota Tundra launched locally in 2024 and is converted from left- to right-hand drive locally by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, Victoria.Currently only the Limited and Platinum trims are offered. Pricing currently starts at $155,990 before on-road costs for the former and $172,990 before on-road costs for the latter.

Why do the full-sized American dual-cab pick-ups cost so much in Australia?In 2019, the price gap between the range-topping Ford Ranger Raptor mid-sized ute from $75,990 and the cheapest Ram 1500 Express from $79,950, was less than $5000.But, while today’s Raptor has jumped to $90,690, the least-expensive Ram has leaped to $141,950 in Laramie Sport and Rebel grades.The price difference between the two utes is 10 times more than what it used to be.So, what gives, especially when, back in its US home market, said Rams kick off from just over $A92,000 post-currency conversion. Even with the cost of shipping, shouldn’t the 1500 slip in at under $100K?As it turns out, not a chance.Not even with lower ex-factory pricing for third-party importers Ateco Automotive, since the Ram, like all of the full-sized American utes, must undergo highly complex and very expensive transformation processes before and after each model lands on Australian soil.One that goes well beyond swapping the steering wheel over to the proper side.To start with, even prior to launch, there are mandatory Australian compliance and Australian Design Rules certification assessments required to be conducted in conjunction with the original manufacturer and factory. This can take months or years to complete.Once the green light is given, and a suitable vehicle engineering firm such as the Walkinshaw Automotive Group is chosen (as is the case with Ram as well as General Motors Special Vehicles’ Chevrolet Silverado and the Toyota Tundra), the utes can then be shipped over to the various remanufacturing facilities in Australia.Post customs, we’re talking about traditional production-line factory processes here, complete with all the necessary specialised equipment and skills required to handle intricate conversions.It’s worth keeping in mind that all the utes are imported as complete vehicles, in original left-hand drive (LHD) configuration, from North America, before being stripped down to thousands of pieces in Melbourne, in preparation for right-hand drive (RHD) conversion. Engines, body panels, lights, axles, wheels, dashboards, seats, trim, wiring looms… the works.One of the upshots of all this is the level of Australian engineering expertise that has been kept alive since local full-vehicle manufacturing ceased here in 2017. Many of the employees are ex Holden, Ford and Toyota.Taking in management, engineering, production-line and supplier-related personnel, the headcount in Australia alone is said to exceed 3000 people between all four brands.And still the costs add up.Then the utes undergo the remanufacturing processes, using bespoke parts necessary to meet both RHD and ADR requirements.Note that these can run up to 500 or more unique pieces per vehicle, depending on model, with many sourced within Australia using local suppliers, though some original North American factory assistance does also occur at times.It’s also worth bearing in mind that some of these parts can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to tool up here.Some vehicles require over 80 man-hours to complete the conversion job. Ram says its 200-plus production-line staff can make up to 20 utes per day, or 100 per week, depending on demand.Plus, significant investment has already been undertaken to boost production capacity, in larger and more efficient production facilities at Walkinshaw Automotive Group in the lead up to the latest Ram, Silverado and Tundra.Whether these currently run at their intended capacity following the 17.5 per cent sales downturn in full-sized American utes in Australia is not known.All this has to happen before the finished, RHD utes leave their remanufacturing facilities, to be stored and then trucked to dealers right around the country. Distribution is yet another massive expense that needs to be factored in.Then there is the added cost of meeting customer expectations.While nobody will confirm this on the record, we understand that the Australian remanufacturing processes extend to significantly improving the quality compared to the original factory source, creating extra cost to the models sold here.With over 800,000 F-Series trucks (making it America’s best-selling vehicle, period), 577,000 Silverados (at number two) and 374,000 Rams (in fifth spot overall) sold in the USA last year, the market is hyper-competitive, meaning costs are cut to keep prices low and production is fast to meet demand.The step-up in quality for Australians extends to ordering higher-specification audio, display screens, seating and trim components from the manufacturer, or replacing inferior parts with better locally-supplied items. Hard plastics and fibreglass materials just won’t cut it at the retail prices required to make a profit on these utes.Furthermore, local consumers are used to a high degree of equipment and demand best-possible safety, adding tens of thousands to the bottom line.Little wonder, then, that each model now starts at well over $120,000 on the road when it finally makes it to dealer forecourts throughout Australia, extending to nearly $200,000 for luxury grades and over one-quarter of a million dollars for specialty versions like the (now discontinued but still in stock) high-performance Ram TRX.Whether the market is willing to sustain six-figure utes at profitable volumes is another matter, but at least now you know why American pick-ups are so expensive in 2026.

Is Australia’s fascination with XXL utes waning?Ten years on from the introduction of the first Ram full-sized pick-up series converted from left-hand drive (LHD) to right-hand drive (RHD) in Melbourne, what was shaping up as a growing segment with massive promise has instead floundered in recent times.In 2025, despite recent introductions of new and/or improved models from Ram, Ford, General Motors and Toyota, sales in the Pick-Up/CC Utes above $100,000 category in Australia tumbled by 17.5 per cent compared to the year before.This has resulted in just 8763 registrations – down from 10,611 units the year before – between four main players: Ram 1500/2500/3500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Heavy Duty, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra.A very small pool for such big fish to hunt in. And yet there are further pitfalls that lay ahead for the not-so-humble American pick-up as we know it.There are currently other, smaller firms importing and converting specific models from the USA vying for largely the same market.One of the higher-profile ones is Brisbane-based AusEV, that has specialised in distributing and even exporting locally-remanufactured RHD versions of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) since 2024. Its main buyers are commercial, mining and agriculture based.Now representing somewhat of a bargain amongst full-sized utes, AUEEV’s Lightning in base Pro 98kWh guise has just had its price slashed by an almost unbelievable $60,000, from $169,990 to $109,990, before on-road costs.This makes it the least-expensive big ute currently offered in Australia, undercutting the cheapest, which happens to be the turbo V6-petrol powered F-150 that Ford Australia also has remanufactured from LHD but by a different entity, by about $5000.With last month’s announcement that global Lightning production has already ceased due to a lack of sales and steep losses, AusEV says that the F-150 Lightning pricing reflects its run-out mode status, ahead of a petrol-electric hybrid replacement – dubbed F-150 Lightning EREV (Extended Range EV) – taking over from 2027.Whatever the case, it’s another thorn in Ford Australia’s side, with its own F-150 finding just 792 buyers last year, due in part to stop-sale actions as a result of technical issues, that are said to have since been resolved with the recently-launched Series II models.Now, whether the F-150 can also fend off further internal competition in the form of the high-profile Ranger Super Duty, which offers some of its towing capabilities but for much less money, remains to be seen.The F-150’s 2025 sales tally was even beaten by the Tundra’s disappointing 837 units, even though it costs substantially more, though whether the Toyota is profitable as a result is not known.Finally, the big ute market in Australia has also come under pressure from Chinese utes like the BYD Shark 6 PHEV (plug-in hybrid EV) and GWM Cannon Alpha, which are slightly larger than most traditional mid-sized utes.At the Cannon’s 2024 local debut, a spokesperson even referred to it as straddling the two ute size classes, though the tape measure suggests this is optimistic.So, what’s changed in the market to cause the big-ute sales decline? Runaway pricing must surely factor strongly.Back in 2018, Ram had enjoyed surprisingly strong sales in a specialist market largely all to its own, thanks to the DS-series 1500 being successfully touted as “Eating Utes for Breakfast” from around $80,000. To put that into context, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak only cost about $5K less.Whilst lacking the latter’s sophistication, safety and finesse, the 1500 boasted both impressive girth and an evocative V8 Hemi gurgle, capturing an enthusiastic outer-suburban and rural niche where size and bulk are assets, not liabilities.But by 2024, the DS-series 1500 had been superseded by the far-more high-tech DT-series, starting from $142K. While the Ram has remained the most popular big ute in its class for eight years running, at 2674 units last year, its share slid by over 17 per cent.Exacerbating the situation is the decision to drop the old Hemi V8 for a high-tech six-cylinder turbo-petrol powertrain which, on paper, is better in every major metric, including performance and economy.But while hardcore fans have complained loud enough worldwide for Ram to reintroduce the V8 in America this year, Australians may have to wait much longer for its return.That said, there are still plenty of unsold 2024 model-year DT 1500 V8s available at dealers around Australia at the time of writing, so maybe the market for such pick-ups has been satiated anyway.Either way, with the high cost of remanufacturing today’s far-more highly-specified utes from LHD to RHD in Australia, it seems almost certain that the days of sub-$100K pricing for these big utes are gone – along with the consumers who bought these in the first place.Will American pick-up sales turn around? Don’t hold your breath.

ANCAP turns gaze to big American pick-ups on Australian roads.