The Toyota Tundra is priced from $101,693 in Australia

Australians are getting another American-made full-size pickup truck: the Toyota Tundra. Although Toyota doesn’t build them for right-hand drive, it asked Walkinshaw, a local engineering firm, to convert its pickups into mismanagement so it can comply with the rules. However, since this conversion is time-consuming and expensive, the Tundra will start at AU$155,990, which converts to $101,693. And that may be a tough pill to swallow while the Tundra works out some reliability issues.

That starting price makes it the most expensive American-made full-size truck in Australia. The Chevrolet Silverado The 1500 is next in price at $85,016 before extra costs. The Ram 1500 is next at US$78,143 and also needs a local right-hand drive conversion, with the Ford F-150 being the cheapest at US$69,674. So even in a world of expensive American trucks, the Tundra is still expensive in Australia.

To be fair to the Aussie Tundra, it is the Limited trim level with the most expensive transmission option. Instead of the simple V6 we get in the base model for the United States market, the Australian Tundra starts with the range-topping i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. It’s an electrified twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that produces 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque, and it’s capable of towing 9,920 pounds. It also comes with an extensive list of perks like heated and ventilated synthetic leather seats, a digital rearview mirror, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, and even 20-inch wheels. In turn, Australian customers won’t need to add too much to its price tag to live in luxury.

The Tundra comes with little luggage. As powerful as the twin-turbo V6 is, it’s also the same faced serious reliability problems. Toyota says the problem is now fixed, but mechanical debris in the combustion chambers has forced the automaker to recall nearly 100,000 2022-2023 Tundras. A fix? Complete engine replacement for each one.

It will be interesting to see how many of these converted right hand drive Tundras sell in Australia given the huge price tag. What’s more, Australians still love the 70 series Land Cruiser, which has been sold there for over 2,000 years if I’m not mistaken. There are pictures of this truck in caves in Australia. It’s a beloved, rugged, proven workhorse for Australian customers, so even though they’re very different trucks, I wonder how many customers will spend double the Tundra.

Any tips? Send them to tips@thedrive.com