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This year’s third generation Toyota Sequoia hits a milestone for the giant SUV. Not only does the behemoth enjoy a complete makeover — a first in 14 years — it adds a hybrid note to improve fuel efficiency. Our top-of-the-line Capstone edition is pricey, but the makeover seems worth the coin.

The exterior has a sculpted look with creases along side panels. Headlight assemblies have been modernized, compared to its predecessor, and taillamps curve around rear quarter panels.

With 22-inch dark chrome alloys the Sequoia stands tall among rivals’ Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition while delivering a smooth highway ride from a 10-speed automatic transmission with four-wheel drive.

A twin-turbo V6 replaces last year’s big V8. With the electric motor/generator, combined output is 437 horsepower and a hefty 583 lb.-ft of torque. This compares to last year’s V8 with just 381 ponies.

All this power results in an impressive 5.7-second time from a dead stop to 60 miles per hour. Impressive for a three-ton vehicle. To make the engine seem more growl-like, there is piped in cabin noise to simulate a throaty V8. Go figure.

Body on frame underpinnings contributed to occasional body roll during our week-long testing on interstates, but overall sway was minimal. Steering was precise. With panic stops, the front-end dipped, as expected, although brakes overall were strong.

The Sequoia is available in five trims — SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro and Capstone — with prices ranging from the upper $50s to low $80s.

With such a large and tall vehicle, we were impressed with the ease of entry and exit thanks to power running boards that slide out of sight once passengers are inside.

While the base model comes with a lot of standard equipment, our Capstone was the kitchen sink model with every available creature comfort thrown in. Our test vehicle was equipped with a super-size 14-inch touchscreen, wireless connectivity, 12.3-inch digital gauge readouts and an adjustable 10-inch heads-up display projecting engine vitals through the front windshield. Audiophiles are sure to like the standard JBL 14-speaker system with subwoofer.

Driver assist features are also standard and include adaptive cruise control with full stop, pedestrian detection, lane departure with steering assist, blind spot monitors, automatic high beams and road sign display.

Fuel economy is improved by 14% compared with previous V8 Sequoias.

We found our Capstone interior treatment near posh with room for seven utilizing third row seats. Unfortunately, cargo space in the back is hampered due to the hybrid battery housed there. Power seats collapse but rest higher than the floor. On the flip side, there are rear partitions that offer cubby storage for smaller items.

Second row captain’s chairs have adjustable arm rests and there is plenty of legroom and headroom in both front rows. Center console storage holds books and tablets inside and upper storage is divided with sliding covers for phones and smaller items.

We liked the overall performance of the Sequoia on the highway or backing into parking stalls around town using surround view cameras. Rear visibility is good for a vehicle this size.

Sequoia is a great family hauler for seven with 22 cubic feet of storage behind its third row and up to 86 cubes with second and third rows folded. Have a large boat or mid-size trailer? No problem. Towing capacity is a remarkable 9,520 pounds.

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