Toyota is taking its Tundra full-sized pickup truck to new premium heights with its Capstone flagship trim level.
Set to arrive in US dealerships in the North American spring (March to June 2022), the Tundra Capstone is designed as an even more premium offering than the previously revealed Platinum and 1794 Edition.
It’ll rival the likes of the Ford F-150 Platinum and GMC Sierra Denali.
The only powertrain available in the Capstone is the 3.5-litre ‘i-Force Max’ twin-turbo V6 hybrid engine with a motor generator and 288V nickel-metal hydride battery pack that’s located under the rear seats.
The i-Force Max powertrain is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and has total system outputs of 325kW of power and 790Nm of torque.
At speeds below 28km/h, the Tundra Capstone is primarily all-electric to make sure it uses the electric motor’s instant torque and transitions to primarily petrol-power to assist with performance at higher speeds.
There’s no V8 engine available in this new generation of the Tundra for the first time ever, with a non-hybrid 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 with 290kW and 649Nm also available on lower trim levels.
Setting the Capstone grade apart from the exterior is its unique grille with a body-colour outer frame and a chrome mesh insert, as well as chrome mirror caps, chrome ‘Tundra’ tailgate insert, chrome trim accents, automatic running boards and 22-inch dark chrome alloy wheels.
Paint colours consist of grey, silver, black, red, blue and pearl white.
Inside, there’s a black-and-white interior with semi-aniline leather seats, 10-way electrically-adjustable front seats, open-pore dark American walnut trim on the centre console and dash, an illuminated Capstone logo on the dash, sound-deadening front glass and a panoramic sunroof.
The Capstone also has a heated leather steering wheel, a 10-inch colour head-up display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12-speaker JBL premium sound system.
The infotainment display offers dual simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity, integrated music streaming, as well as 4G connectivity for up to five devices.
There’s an Intelligent Assistant that can be triggered by saying the phrase “Hey Toyota” and can search for navigation points of interest, adjust audio controls, and can change the climate control, among others.
The Tundra Capstone is only available in the CrewMax dual-cab body configuration with a 1.67m long tub.
It has the Tundra’s rear air suspension set-up that’s designed to make towing simpler and also give the flexibility to change the load height for the tub.
Maximum payload for the Capstone is 1485 pounds (673kg) and maximum towing capacity is 10,340 pounds (4690kg).
The new 2022 Tundra now features an aluminium reinforced composite bed for added protection against dents and rust compared to traditional steel decks.
The cabin of the Tundra Capstone is also mounted to the ladder-frame chassis with hydraulic cab mounts for extra cushioning.
Like all 2022 Tundra models, the flagship Capstone comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 active safety system.
This includes the following:
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-departure warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Automatic high-beam
- Traffic sign recognition
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
The flagship Capstone variant will be sold alongside the SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794 Edition and off-road oriented TRD Pro variants in North America.
Toyota Australia has been evaluating the possibility of bringing the full-sized Tundra Down Under.
In October 2021, the company’s vice president Sean Hanley said he’s “envious” of his American colleagues who get to sell it.
Nevertheless, at this stage, there’s no set plan for Toyota Australia to secure it in right-hand drive for sales through its dealer network, to sit above the HiLux and battle the locally re-engineered Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.
The new Tundra uses the same TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture as the LandCruiser 300 Series, and there’s crossover with their petrol and (potentially) their hybrid powertrains.
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