Based on the Tundra pickup, the Sequoia wore a sticker with a price premium, but consumers wanted that virtual guarantee of reliability that comes along with the Toyota nameplate, and they lined up to buy the hulking new SUV. Then Toyota entered the fray with the eight-passenger Sequoia SUV, powered by a creamy-smooth, Lexus-sourced 4.7-liter V8 engine. Additionally, the GM pushrod V8 engines were tweaked for more power and refinement, and were worlds ahead of the comparatively weak Ford power plants. The revamped Chevys and GMCs could all carry nine, and as an added benefit, the rearmost seats in the Tahoe and Yukon were easier to remove because they were split and lighter in weight. But when GM redesigned the Silverado and Sierra pickups for 1999, new Tahoes, Yukons and Suburbans were also released into the marketplace.
Instantly popular, the Expedition became one of Ford's hottest sellers. The Expedition was stiffer, powered by more modern overhead cam engines, and sized to slot nicely between the SUV twins from Chevrolet and GMC. The Expedition was introduced with much fanfare that same year, finding favor among buyers whose only other choices were GM SUVs built on the decade-old C/K pickup frame. When the redesigned F-Series pickup debuted for 1997, Ford engineered a proper large SUV on its platform. With SUV sales booming and consumer trends pointing toward a desire for bigger and more powerful vehicles capable of hauling as many as nine passengers or more than 100 cubic feet of cargo, Ford found itself without a competitive edge in a hot market niche. A general sense of dissatisfaction spread over Fordland in the mid-'90s when it realized that GM held a monopoly on full-size SUVs with its Chevy Tahoe and Suburban.
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