RHD Toyota Tundra finally Australia-ready

BY MATT BROGAN | 19th Nov 2024

A FORMER General Motors factory building, once used as part of the assembly line for the Holden Torana, now plays a very different role in Australian vehicle manufacturing.

Today, the Dandenong facility, owned and operated by the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, is home to the Toyota Tundra production line – so called due to the extent of changes carried out in converting the US-sourced utility from left- to right-hand drive.

Last week, GoAuto was afforded the opportunity to tour the facility, experiencing each section of the 81-hour process from start to finish.

The left-hand drive donor is dismantled in a fastidious operation that literally accounts for every nut, bolt, washer, and clip before the vehicle’s cabin separated from its chassis.

From here, the pair travel individual production lines where they are fitted with right-hand drive components, before being “remarried” and realigned for Australian roads.

Interestingly, and ensuring the highest possible quality standard, the right-hand drive components used on Tundra are largely Toyota-sourced (predominantly from the related LandCruiser 300 Series) or from suppliers that manufacture the same component for the left-hand drive original.

A detailed list of those components is available below.

The efforts mean that apart from the change from left- to right-hand drive, a ‘converted’ Tundra is nearly identical to the donor vehicle; a hard-won acknowledgement of the capabilities of the Walkinshaw Automotive Group – and reassuring peace of mind for Australian customers.

The 2025 Toyota Tundra Limited Hybrid is now available from $155,990 plus on-road costs. A higher-grade Capstone variant is understood to be headed our way later in the new year with pricing still to be confirmed.

Toyota levels of attention to detail

Plans for a right-hand drive Tundra were in play locally as early as 2018 when a left-hand drive pre-production model was shipped to Australia for evaluation. Pored over in secret, the vehicle set in motion a development program worthy of an all-new vehicle.

American, Australian, and Japanese input ensured the Tundra would be re-engineered to OEM standards, with the Dandenong facility inspected to ensure alignment with Toyota Quality Management standards.

“We earned a bit of credibility through our local capability in what we did with HiLux Rugged X and Rogue,” Toyota Motor Corporation Australia general manager and project lead Rod Ferguson told GoAuto.

“And because we still had some remaining functions from the Technical Centre that we used to have – particularly vehicle evaluation and development and even accessory development – we also had some credibility there.

“We had a good relationship with Nakajima-san, because he was a chief engineer on the HiLux during that period, so we had a few people in our corner.

“They said ‘you need to achieve this’ (standard to take on right-hand drive conversion on Tundra), then ‘you need to achieve that’, and as we passed each hurdle, we’d have another discussion with the head of quality to see where we needed to be next.

“We had to earn this – there was no roadmap laid out for us to follow.”

Mr Smith said the Tundra Insider Program, where almost 250 vehicles were leased to potential buyers before retail sales began, was invaluable in gaining real-world data on the performance of the Tundra – and any potential engineering issues – ahead of the official launch date, suggesting the program was a world-first for the brand.

“In ‘managing’ those vehicles, we had a certain level of access to the customers and the ability to check on the vehicles periodically, without them being totally within our ecosystem,” he added.

“It’s the first time we’ve been exposed to such a program ... and was one that certainly carried a share of risk.

“But we wanted to make sure we could get these vehicles back if need be.

“You don’t want to be in a position where you’re offering field fixes and recalls for a customer vehicle if you can avoid it, so it (the program) gave us something of a ‘safe period’ to rectify anything that had gone wrong before launch – and fortunately that never actually happened for us.”

From his viewpoint, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the Tundra Insider Program was vital to ensuring Toyota’s ‘Quality, Durability and Reliability’ ethos was maintained in a locally converted product.

“Tundra Insider Program customers did sign an agreement that allowed the vehicles to be inspected for a little longer at each service interval, while also providing feedback through the dealership network where necessary,” he explained.

“In hindsight, we probably went a little hard on the terms and conditions of the lease initially (disallowing the fitment of accessories and so forth). We didn’t want modifications because that meant we couldn’t do full real-world testing. So, we did restrict it in that way.”

Mr Smith added that it was important that the vehicle was tested in unmodified form to ensure supplied data was free from any variables.

“We wanted to keep it as a pure (example of a factory) car. There are too many variables at play otherwise,” he affirmed.

“We also wanted vehicles spread right across the country, doing the things typical Tundra owners would, and driving the car in a range of environments.

“That meant that by the time we made the call that it could go retail, we have well over a million cumulative kilometres of data from the cars that were out there.”

So, just who will buy a Toyota Tundra?

It appears that interest in the Tundra has come from every corner of the country.

Toyota Australia general manager and project lead Rod Ferguson said studying how those involved in the Tundra Insider Program used these vehicles enabled the team to reach a deeper understanding of customer requirements and gain insights that helped bring the right-hand drive Tundra to reality faster and more effectively.

“The group talked to dozens of passionate owners about their long-distance highway towing – everything from horse floats to construction hardware, farming equipment, large boats and even race cars,” he said.

“Customers spoke about their absolute priority for towing capacity above 3.5 tonnes – a

vehicle with a powerful engine that’s ready to tow heavy trailers straight from the showroom floor.

“They also told us about their requirements for space, comfort and driving range.”

Echoing his colleague’s sentiments – but without revealing exactly how many pick-up customers are queued for the Tundra – Mr Hanley told GoAuto that demand is strong, particularly with regional buyers.

“Demand right now is strong. The order bank is strong. However, we know that there are some customers who are simply waiting for the car to retail. They want to buy it, and they want to customise it,” he said.

“Interest in regional areas is particularly strong (which indicates) that the order bank for this car, and considering its market, is very healthy.

“Whether that’s sustainable, we’ll have to see. Whether that market segment keeps growing is an interesting question.”

When asked to profile the typical Tundra customer, Mr Hanley said most were those with a requirement to tow beyond the 3500kg braked limited offered in the likes of the Toyota HiLux and its ilk.

He said data garnered from the Tundra Insider Program suggests well-heeled personal buyers would front the queue, suggesting existing Toyota fleet and mining purchasers would remain in familiar models.

Specifically, Mr Hanley said mining customers wanted more off-road capability and diesel power, suggesting the industry would remain locked to the LandCruiser 70 Series for the foreseeable future.

When asked if the same could be said of rural buyers – many of whom receive tax breaks on diesel fuel – Mr Hanley said it was likely the interest in petrol-electric hybrid utilities like the Tundra will change over time, especially as NVES regulations tighten.

“It’ll be interesting to see in the future – typically in rural areas of Australia where they are still very reliant on diesel – how that will change. It will need to,” he stated.

Given the capacity of the Tundra production line can be expanded or contracted with demand, and with a new facility set to open in the coming months, Mr Hanley said he is comfortable with the ability for the collaboration to meet the demands of the Australian market.

He said supplies out of the United States are steady, and may also be adjusted as demand dictates, indicating that there are few roadblocks to the Tundra becoming a top seller in the burgeoning segment.

Locally, the Toyota Tundra will rival the likes of the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500, all of which are enjoying steady sales.

To the end of October, VFACTS figures show the Ram 1500 ahead of the pack with 2690 units sold ahead of the Chevrolet Silverado (1989), and Ford F-150 (1199). Toyota has to date registered 244 examples of the Tundra as part of its local evaluation program.

The 2025 Toyota Tundra is officially on sale in Australia from November 19.

2025 Toyota Tundra right-hand drive part detail: