Toyota Australia identifies low public recognition as the key barrier to stronger Tundra sales, observing that numerous shoppers remain unaware the US-built truck is now offered officially through its dealer network.

Following six years of preparation, the Tundra reached Australian showrooms late in 2024 at a base price of $155,990 before on-road costs.

Arriving from the United States and converted to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, the model targets rivals including the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Ford F-150 within the large pickup segment.

Nevertheless, the Tundra has faced difficulty matching its American competitors. Toyota sold 837 units during 2025, its first complete year, capturing just 9.6 per cent of full-size pickup registrations.

Toyota's portion of the segment has climbed to 10.5 per cent so far this year through May, yet Chevrolet, Ram, and Ford retain the lead.

The automaker attributes the Tundra's performance primarily to insufficient awareness.

"We had to relaunch the vehicle this year. We called it a relaunch, because frankly, we didn't have very strong awareness of the Tundra being in market as a genuine Toyota model through our dealer network," Toyota Australia sales, marketing and franchise operations vice president John Pappas told CarExpert.

Research indicated that most individuals assumed the truck remained a grey import, creating a major obstacle after substantial time, effort, and funding went into local Tundra development.

Grey import vehicles enter Australia outside official manufacturer channels, typically as used units from Japan or the United States.

Although not highlighted by Mr Pappas, elevated pricing may also influence buyer decisions.

At introduction, the Tundra aligned with the short-wheelbase Ram 1500 Limited yet exceeded the F-150 Lariat by roughly $15,000 and sat notably above the Silverado 1500.

Prices stayed unchanged through 2025 aside from the addition of a new Platinum flagship with a $17,000 premium.

Two months ago Toyota introduced notable discounts on new and demonstrator Tundras built by July 31, 2025, ranging from $18,903 for the Limited to $19,413 for the Platinum in NSW, even as it avoided similar incentives on the RAV4 during its recent model change.

The end-of-financial-year promotion, originally set to conclude in June, has been extended at least another month.

Mr Pappas stops short of confirming lasting price reductions and instead points to marketing efforts for improved demand.

"We've just got to make sure we clear any of our older plated vehicles in order for us to have a normal environment," he said.

"We've spent a lot on our marketing to elevate the awareness of Tundra.

"So we've identified that now, particularly through our dealers, we're getting a lot more enquiries... which is not what we were getting at the start of the year, because the awareness wasn't there."

If pricing returns to original levels after July, the base Tundra would sit around $40,000 above the lowest-priced F-150, $20,000 higher than the entry Silverado 1500, and roughly $14,000 more than the most affordable Ram 1500.