Inside Nicolás Maduro’s SUV fleet: Sequoia to 4Runner
What Nicolás Maduro drives: Toyota Sequoia, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and more
Inside Nicolás Maduro’s SUV fleet: Sequoia to 4Runner
Explore Nicolás Maduro’s car lineup: Toyota Sequoia, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner, and a shadow luxury pool—practical SUVs for security and convoy roles.
2026-01-06T09:57:27+03:00
2026-01-06T09:57:27+03:00
2026-01-06T09:57:27+03:00
A leader’s choice of wheels often says more than official speeches. In the case of Nicolás Maduro, who was recently detained by U.S. authorities, one theme keeps surfacing: oversized SUVs that prioritize practicality and security, alongside stories of luxury cars that do not always appear in public.The first and most recognizable entry on such lists is the Toyota Sequoia. It is described as his favored full-size SUV, one he reportedly took the wheel of more than once. The choice stands out not only for its size but also for what it signals: a quintessential North American idea of a big family SUV that underlines strength and a sense of safety.The second vehicle often mentioned is an older-generation Ford Explorer. Even if accounts differ on exact trims, the logic is plain: the Explorer works as a versatile tool for long trips, security details, and poor roads, without the flash of newer models.The third model is the Toyota 4Runner, more as a convoy car. Open sources repeat the claim about buying a batch of these SUVs for close associates. In an economy under strain, any talk of dozens of identical SUVs lands like a political irritant, while the 4Runner itself looks like a rational pick: body-on-frame, durable, suitable for added equipment, and easy to live with every day.The fourth entry is less about luxury and more about biography: a Caracas Metro bus. His work as a driver and union activism are often used to frame a narrative of rising from worker to leader. Today it comes across as a myth-making element, yet it matters because it contrasts sharply with how power actually moves.And finally, there is the shadow luxury pool. Investigations and reports of cars confiscated for illegal export or intended for people in the regime’s orbit regularly feed the view that the public garage is only part of the picture. These accounts point to premium badges, special signals, and ways around restrictions, though details on specific models are usually fragmentary.
Nicolás Maduro, Toyota Sequoia, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner, SUVs, convoy car, security, luxury cars, car collection, Venezuela leader vehicles, body-on-frame SUV, public garage
2026
Michael Powers
articles
What Nicolás Maduro drives: Toyota Sequoia, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and more
Explore Nicolás Maduro’s car lineup: Toyota Sequoia, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner, and a shadow luxury pool—practical SUVs for security and convoy roles.
Michael Powers, Editor
A leader’s choice of wheels often says more than official speeches. In the case of Nicolás Maduro, who was recently detained by U.S. authorities, one theme keeps surfacing: oversized SUVs that prioritize practicality and security, alongside stories of luxury cars that do not always appear in public.
The first and most recognizable entry on such lists is the Toyota Sequoia. It is described as his favored full-size SUV, one he reportedly took the wheel of more than once. The choice stands out not only for its size but also for what it signals: a quintessential North American idea of a big family SUV that underlines strength and a sense of safety.
The second vehicle often mentioned is an older-generation Ford Explorer. Even if accounts differ on exact trims, the logic is plain: the Explorer works as a versatile tool for long trips, security details, and poor roads, without the flash of newer models.
The third model is the Toyota 4Runner, more as a convoy car. Open sources repeat the claim about buying a batch of these SUVs for close associates. In an economy under strain, any talk of dozens of identical SUVs lands like a political irritant, while the 4Runner itself looks like a rational pick: body-on-frame, durable, suitable for added equipment, and easy to live with every day.
The fourth entry is less about luxury and more about biography: a Caracas Metro bus. His work as a driver and union activism are often used to frame a narrative of rising from worker to leader. Today it comes across as a myth-making element, yet it matters because it contrasts sharply with how power actually moves.
And finally, there is the shadow luxury pool. Investigations and reports of cars confiscated for illegal export or intended for people in the regime’s orbit regularly feed the view that the public garage is only part of the picture. These accounts point to premium badges, special signals, and ways around restrictions, though details on specific models are usually fragmentary.
