Sequoias are one of the coolest vehicles out there because you can take them off-road and still drop your kids off at school. The one thing they are severely lacking, besides maybe some suspension components, would be the headlights. The headlights on your original truck were OEM halogen dated pieces that are the last thing you want on the road. They will not keep you safe, and they definitely will not look cool like the new Morimoto XB Evo Sequoia headlights. We tested and installed both of the all new Morimoto options for the 2008 to 2017 Toyota Sequoia, and in this guide we are going to break them down and compare them to the original Morimoto XB headlight we sold for about a decade.
Why the Stock Sequoia Headlights Need to Go
When you pull your truck up to the wall, you know right away that the stock headlights are trash. This is what you drive with, and you have probably already had to replace those OEM halogen H11 bulbs more than once. The light they put out is a dingy, yellow-orange color that is not cool at all and does not keep you safe when you are moving down the road at speed. That dated halogen output is exactly the kind of thing we always recommend upgrading first on an older Toyota, especially one that has been on the road as long as these Sequoias have.
The original Morimoto XB headlight came out about a decade ago, and at the time it was one of the best on the market. It was the brightest, and it looked the best. We are owned by the same organization, and we can still tell you honestly that compared to the new headlights, that old XB is not the one to buy anymore. It is that much better today. If you are still shopping the older assembly, you can see it here as the Morimoto XB LED Headlights for the 08-17 Sequoia, and the product page over on the Sequoia XB LED Headlights on MorimotoHID as well.
Meet the Two New Headlights: XB Evo and XB Hybrid
There are actually two new headlights that Morimoto came out with to replace the old XB. The first is the Morimoto XB Hybrid, which is the entry-level option. It is a little bit cheaper, but it also has a lot fewer features than the other one. The second is the Morimoto XB Evo, which is the best and brightest headlight on the market today for this truck. The big change you notice immediately is the daytime running light. There is a new surface texture that lets you see the DRL from any angle, giving you a consistent, bright daytime running light that the old headlight simply cannot match.
One of the major differences with the new headlights has to do with the light output. The old XB, we believe, only used reflectors. The new headlights use all new projectors integrated inside the housings, and the coolest part is that they still utilize some reflector technology, called reflector assist. The XB Hybrid version and the XB Evo version have the exact same output on low beam and high beam. We took this truck out at night, and the output is incredible. The color temperature is also different, a little more comfortable for long distances so your eyes are not getting fatigued the way the older, brighter white output could do.
Beam Pattern and Output Testing
Morimoto came up with a new way to test headlights to see how bright they are and to easily compare one headlight to another. It has even been recognized on Jalopnik, which is a big deal if you know anything about cars and trucks. We used those numbers to give you a low beam score, a high beam score, and a width score, plus a small graph showing what kind of light output each headlight produces. We compared the stock housings, the Morimoto XB, and then the new headlights.
The stock halogen headlights are that dingy yellow-orange color, and they are not what you want. The Morimoto XB from years ago was a brighter white color, but nothing in comparison to the new output. On the new headlights, you will notice a little dip in the beam and then on the left side of that projector it comes back up. That provides a lot more light output than you would have had if the beam just dipped down straight to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. That extra usable light is a huge feature the new headlights have that the old headlights and the rest of the market do not. In the real world, just look at how much more width you get compared to the original headlights. It is quite literally night and day. If you want a deeper look at the numbers, we put together our XB Evo brightness testing breakdown.
DRL Color and Turn Signal: The XB Evo Rear Keys
All of these headlights have a true daytime running light, so when you drive around during the day with your lights off, the DRL is actually bright. The old XB had a bright DRL too, but the new surface texture blows it out of the water. If a bright daytime running light is important to you, upgrading to the new headlights right away over the old ones is an easy call.
On the old headlight, you could choose a standard turn signal effect or a sequential turn signal effect, but you did it by unplugging or plugging in a plug on the back side, which was a little silly compared to the new way. The Morimoto XB Evo uses four different keys that slap onto the back side of the headlight housing. These keys control whether the daytime running light is white or amber, and they control how the turn signal functions. You can run the standard effect, which still has a nice fade off, or the sequential turn signal that we have all grown to love.
The keys do not work on the XB Hybrid. Morimoto pulled that feature to keep the hybrid budget-friendly. So the XB Hybrid has a fixed white daytime running light and the standard fade off turn signal effect. On the older XB, the amber DRL was actually a separate SKU, so you could not swap between white and amber; you bought one or the other. If you want to see that older amber version, it lives as the Amber DRL version at The Retrofit Source. The big advantage of the new XB Evo is that the swappable rear keys put that choice in your hands.
Making Them Even Brighter with the Supercharged Driver
You can make these headlights even brighter by adding a Morimoto Supercharged Driver. This is an additional SKU that does not come with the headlights. Out of the box, these headlights meet and exceed the IIHS standards for compliance, so they do not glare oncoming drivers and people do not flash you because the output is such a high quality.
If you install the Supercharged Driver, you get an additional 30% brightness, but you are no longer in compliance, so it would be for off-road use only. One more thing to note: if you buy that Supercharged Driver and add it to the entry-level XB Hybrid, you unlock a startup feature. The hybrid does not have a startup feature unless you add the Supercharged Driver. With the Morimoto XB Evo, you get that startup feature straight out of the box.
Frost-Free System for Cold Climates
There are no other features worth talking about on the old headlights, because that is where the features stopped. On the new headlights, they keep going. There is a frost-free system that allows the internals of these headlights to get hot enough to melt the snow and ice. A lot of you will ask why you would spend the money on that, but if you live in a colder climate, it is genuinely important. LEDs are so efficient these days that they do not get hot enough to melt snow and ice off the lens when it is very cold outside, and the last thing you want is to lose your nice new projectors and output to a layer of ice.
With the frost-free system, if all conditions are met, you simply flash your high beams four times. The headlights respond by flashing back twice. If they only flash back once, that means not all conditions are met, maybe it is not actually cold enough outside and you do not need it.
The Look When They Are Off
When you turn the two headlights off, you notice a stark difference between them. The XB Hybrid version is all blacked out, which looks really cool. But it is not nearly as cool, in our opinion, as the top dog XB Evo. The XB Evo has titanium shrouds that pretty much state you spent a lot of money and they look badass. This is by far the coolest headlight when it is off compared to all the other pieces of garbage you find all over the place.
Speaking of cool, take a closer look at the daytime running light. You can see the topography on that DRL, and it looks incredible. It does nothing for performance, but the details are sweet, and it is the kind of finish that separates these from the cheaper assemblies out there.
Fitment, Durability, and Warranty
These headlights fit a 2008 Sequoia all the way up to a 2017. These vehicles have been on the road for a very long time, so it is important to have a UV resistant coating that holds up against the weather, the ice, the snow, and the sun. A lot of aftermarket headlights out there get sun damage after a while, and you are not going to have that problem here. There is a new hard coating that surpasses the Toyota standard, so Morimoto went above and beyond to create a clear coating that keeps these headlights looking good for the long haul. They also come with a 5-year warranty, so there is nothing to worry about.
If you want to finish the front end, we also recommend picking up the matching Sequoia XB LED Fog Lights to keep the whole build consistent. And if you drive something other than a Sequoia, you can browse our full lineup of LED headlight assemblies to find the right upgrade for your vehicle. Between the shared low and high beam output of the XB Evo and XB Hybrid, the swappable rear keys on the Evo, the optional Supercharged Driver, and the frost-free system, these are the headlights we would put on our own Sequoia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Morimoto XB Evo and XB Hybrid headlights?
Both share the same low beam and high beam light output using integrated projectors and reflector assist technology, but the XB Hybrid is the entry-level option and lacks the swappable rear keys, so its DRL color and turn signal style are fixed to white DRL with a standard fade off turn signal. The XB Evo includes rear keys that let you choose white or amber DRL and standard or sequential turn signal.
Do these new Morimoto headlights fit the same Sequoia years as the original XB?
The new Morimoto XB Evo and XB Hybrid headlights fit 2008 through 2017 Toyota Sequoia models.
Can I make the Morimoto XB Evo headlights brighter?
Yes, you can add the Morimoto Supercharged Driver, an additional SKU not included with the headlights, for about 30% more brightness. This takes the headlights out of IIHS compliance and makes them off-road use only. Adding it to the XB Hybrid also unlocks a startup light feature not otherwise available on that model.
Do these headlights have a frost-free feature?
Yes, the new headlights include a frost-free system that heats the internals to melt snow and ice. If all conditions are met, flashing your high beams four times triggers the headlights to flash back twice; a single flash back means conditions for frost-free operation are not met.
What warranty comes with the new Morimoto Sequoia headlights?
The new Morimoto XB Evo and XB Hybrid headlights come with a 5-year warranty and use a UV resistant hard coating that surpasses the Toyota standard for long-term durability.
Meet the Experts Behind Headlight Revolution
Chris Nelson – Founder
Before founding Headlight Revolution in 2011, Chris worked as an automotive install technician specializing in lighting, sound systems, and engine performance parts. He has personally tested thousands of lighting products and works directly with lighting engineers to evaluate the technical performance behind every recommendation.
Josh Beberg – Content Production Manager
Josh leads hands-on testing and content production at Headlight Revolution. From beam pattern comparisons to real-world installations, he works directly with lighting engineers to ensure every review is grounded in measured results, not marketing specs.
