Toyota’s push into SUVs is undeniable with the company putting more resources than ever into making sure their lineup of utilities can stand up to the best the competition has to offer. This push has not only seen revamps for models like the RAV4 but also the debut of other models including the Crown Signia and the Grand Highlander. However, there’s only one true king of the SUV domain for Toyota and that’s the mighty Sequoia.
The current generation Sequoia debuted a few years ago and it not only brought a styling revamp to the SUV, but also a new powerplant with a twin-turbo V6 replacing the V8. The 2025 model year sees Toyota fleshing out the finer details but does the 1794 Edition rise as a prominent example of these changes in action?
Sequoia 1794 Edition goes west for luxury
A prominent addition for 2025 is the arrival of the new 1794 Edition to the Sequoia’s trim ladder. The 1794 Edition was once exclusive to its partner in crime the Tundra but Toyota has decided that adding it to the Sequoia will help provide a bump in sales. The 1794 Edition is far from being the only western-themed special edition out on the road with the trim competing with similar entries like the Ford Expedition King Ranch. Like those rivals, the 1794 gets more chrome trim with the front grille getting a massive infusion of the blingy material. The rest of the styling is vintage Toyota Sequoia with the design itself getting a Tundra-infused upgrade with the side profile and the rear of the SUV getting tougher-looking trim elements with 1794 Edition badging being placed in the lower part of the sides.
Our lone gripe actually centers around the paint with our tester arriving with a rather mundane shade of grey. That’s a shame since we feel that the 1794’s exterior upgrades function better with darker colors like black, blue, or even red to help provide more pop for the chrome wheels which are also a 1794 exclusive. As a whole, the exterior does a good job of giving buyers a good bridge between the Platinum and the range-topping Capstone but with its own distinctive flair and personality.
Western themed interior provides Sequoia with plenty of comfort
Slip inside the Sequoia 1794 Edition and you’ll discover its biggest selling point, the interior. All models get tan leather seats and tan-colored upholstery throughout with the cabin being contrasted by open-pore walnut wood accents across the dashboard and the center console. The floor mats also get brown woven trim to help provide an extra degree of polish to the interior’s presentation. The western accents are a welcome departure from the usual sea of black interiors we see in other luxury SUVs but it does little to hide the fact that the front half of the interior still feels somewhat cramped. The front massaging seats are a welcome distraction from this reality but digging through the screen to access them can be distracting.
The second-row gets captain’s chairs which are also comfortable and allow occupants to soak in plenty of head and legroom. The third row is best left for children or relatives you don’t like very much with the space being tight for taller passengers. Cargo room is also tight and is a noticeable weak spot for the Sequoia with rivals like the Chevrolet Suburban and the aforementioned Expedition having larger amounts of cargo room. The large infotainment screen is nestled in the center of the dashboard and other than the finicky controls for the seat massagers, the space is filled with a balanced mixture of analog and in-screen controls with the bulk of the menus being easy to find and use. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but a prominent thing we noticed is that this Sequoia was the first Toyota we tested that did not boot our Android-equipped phone off of its wireless connection when listening to music ending a long and dubious streak of this happening in past Toyota models we have reviewed.
V6 performance continues to shine
Performance for the Sequoia 1794 Edition comes from the same twin-turbocharged 3.34-liter hybrid V6 we have seen in other Sequoias with the engine here making 437 horsepower and a stump-pulling 583 lb-ft of torque. The engine has a strong growl and it had no problem putting our backs firmly in the seatbacks when accelerating from stoplights. The hybrid system also helps add more punch to the driving experience and its benefits are very noticeable with the engine providing plenty of pull throughout the rev band.
That said, the handling here is clearly focused on comfort with the suspension in our tester causing the SUV to wander in its lane and to wallow when pushed through corners. Comfort is the star of the show here but the steering’s mushy feel and prominent dead-spots can occasionally cause the driver to be unsure of themselves when navigating the Sequoia through turns. The hybrid system also doesn’t do much to improve fuel economy with the Sequoia getting an EPA-rated 19/22 mpg in city and freeway driving. We saw figures slightly less than that during its stay with us which was somewhat disappointing.
Value Quotient
With all of this luxury on hand, it comes as no surprise to see that the 1794 Edition Sequoia comes with an equally beefy price tag with a base 1794 Edition starting at just over $80,000. Our tester arrived with a light sprinkling of options which caused its price to go above $83,000 which is also the same figure as a base Capstone model.
On the surface, the 1794 Sequoia seems to have the core tools in place for buyers looking for a western-themed luxury special with the beautiful interior and flashy chrome trim providing a compelling backdrop. However, put the Sequoia side by side with other rivals and its ability to stick out in the minds of shoppers becomes lost in the fog. The Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition continue to offer better interiors and an equally large pool of trim levels to choose from while the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and its Wagoneer-teammate bring more size and better technology to the table despite losing some cylinders to the Sequoia when equipped with the inline-six.
However, if you’re willing to embrace these quirks and are willing to go for some of the charm and personality that the Sequoia brings to the table, the 1794 Edition might hit the proverbial sweet spot well.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.