Rumors of the death of Toyota ’s Sequoia were, apparently, greatly exaggerated. The Japanese automaker’s big, Indiana-built SUV has seen its sales trickle to just 5,700 in the first half of 2010 – down 36 percent from last year’s numbers.
Still, the automaker says that the Sequoia has a place in its product portfolio.
“Sequoia continues to be a profitable, high-quality vehicle for Toyota and several years remain in the life of the current generation,” the automaker said in a release sent out to the media.
Sequoia has lost ground to rivals from other automakers and competition from inside the Toyota family. The automaker’s 4Runner, which also offers three rows of seating, has seen sales more than double – to 21,953 in the first six months of the year.
A future?
The Sequoia will continue in its current configuration for at least “several” more years – likely through the 2012 model year. But after that, its future still seems unlikely.
Like virtually all automakers, Toyota does not discuss plans for its future products in releases. The Sequoia has long been a strong seller in the Middle East even though export versions are built in the American Midwest. Toyota is likely monitoring Middle Eastern demand and currency fluctuations in an effort to make a decision about the big SUV’s future.
