Toyota Tundra still under study for Oz

The new Toyota Tundra will not be built in right-hand drive configuration at the Texan plant that produces it, making the prospects of an Australian release for a fully factory-built version of the new full-size pick-up about as bleak as its namesake.

However, the 290kW twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Toyota Tundra ute still hasn’t been ruled out for Aussie consumption.

Toyota Australia has flagged the idea of a ‘partnership or arrangement’ with a third-party company that could be contracted to do the conversion and reassembly work required to sell the Ford F-150 rival in Australia.

It’s not clear whether Toyota is courting conversion specialists within Australia, such as the Walkinshaw Automotive Group that already ‘remanufactures’ RAM and Chevrolet pick-up trucks here, or engineering companies overseas, such as Thailand – where the smaller HiLux is built and Toyota has a strong presence.

Toyota Australia’s general manager of product planning and development, Rod Ferguson, told journalists at the company’s recently refurbished conversion, engineering and design centre in Victoria that the company would consider appointing a supplier to carry out the Tundra conversion work.

“It’s possible,” he said after explaining that Toyota’s new product centre in Altona doesn’t have the capability to it.

“The only way we would ever achieve something like that would be through some sort of a partnership or arrangement,” he stated.

Ferguson added that Toyota is still working on a business case to sell the Tundra here backed by full factory warranty.

“We haven’t ruled it out. As we said and we’ve been on record many times saying … we do study that market and we are very interested in that [full-size pick-up] segment.

“If we are ever able to find a way or business case to bring that product [Tundra] to Australia, then we’ll try to pursue that,” he said.

Toyota Australia has previously stated hordes of customers are “crying out” for a Toyota vehicle that can tow more than 3500kg – the limit for its hugely popular HiLux and LandCruiser 300 Series models.

Underpinned by a variation of the latter’s new TNGA-F ladder-frame platform, the Tundra can tow just over 5.4 tonnes, thanks to its 290kW/649Nm 3.5-litre turbo-petrol V6 powertrain.

A 325kW/790Nm hybrid version of the same powertrain is available in the US, where all models are fitted with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

If Toyota does employ a third-party RHD converter to help bring the new Tundra to Australia, it won’t be nearly as cheap as what would have been the first fully factory-built full-size pick-up sold Down Under.

The most affordable US pick-up converted and sold here is the previous-generation RAM 1500 (from $79,950), but the latest-generation RAM and Silverado both start from above $100,000.

Confirmation that Toyota won’t produce its new Tundra in right-hand drive opens the door for local aftermarket converters to do so, as was the case with previous generations.