Photo: Toyota
As you’re well aware, the Tundra is the oldest full-size pickup truck on sale in the United States these days. Toyota came out with the second generation – codenamed XK50 – back in 2006. Somewhere along the road, the Tundra dropped the 4.0-liter V6 in favor of the 4.6- and 5.7-liter V8 engine options.
This decision leveled up the pricing to $31,670 excluding destination charge for the 2019 model year, making the Tundra more expensive than the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 while Ram 1500 reigns supreme with a starting price of $33,190. The Tundra TRD Pro takes the cake at $49,895, but looking at the bigger picture, it’s all the truck you need.
Even though Toyota doesn’t have the ambition to compete as equals with domestic brands in terms volume, the full-size segment is where the most money can be made as far as pickups are concerned. The good ol’ Tacoma is doing well in the mid-size segment, outselling everything from the Nissan Frontier to the Jeep Gladiator.
At the beginning of 2018, the group vice president and general manager of Toyota in North America made it clear the Tundra is the highest priority for the Japanese automaker. The redesign has been in the making for quite a long time, and if the rumors turn out to be true, Toyota might be tempted to utilize a V6 with forced induction as the range-topping powertrain.
An “inside source” told TFL Truck the Tundra would receive a “3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine in combination with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery.” That’s extremely similar to the Lexus LS 500h luxury sedan, but something doesn’t add up. More to the point, the LS 500h is naturally aspirated while the LS 500 without the “h” features a twin-turbo setup and similar displacement.
The tipster expects the Tundra Hybrid to “produce in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque while getting 30-plus miles to the gallon.” By comparison, the LS 500h is capable of 33 mpg on the highway while the LS 500 outputs 416 horsepower on 91-octane gasoline.
Whatever the future holds for the Tundra, we wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota were to replicate the EcoBoost V6 formula that Ford introduced to the twelfth generation of the F-150. Speaking of which, both the 2.7- and 3.5-liter EcoBoost options are gaining popularity to the detriment of the Coyote V8.
Even though Toyota doesn’t have the ambition to compete as equals with domestic brands in terms volume, the full-size segment is where the most money can be made as far as pickups are concerned. The good ol’ Tacoma is doing well in the mid-size segment, outselling everything from the Nissan Frontier to the Jeep Gladiator.
At the beginning of 2018, the group vice president and general manager of Toyota in North America made it clear the Tundra is the highest priority for the Japanese automaker. The redesign has been in the making for quite a long time, and if the rumors turn out to be true, Toyota might be tempted to utilize a V6 with forced induction as the range-topping powertrain.
An “inside source” told TFL Truck the Tundra would receive a “3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine in combination with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery.” That’s extremely similar to the Lexus LS 500h luxury sedan, but something doesn’t add up. More to the point, the LS 500h is naturally aspirated while the LS 500 without the “h” features a twin-turbo setup and similar displacement.
The tipster expects the Tundra Hybrid to “produce in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque while getting 30-plus miles to the gallon.” By comparison, the LS 500h is capable of 33 mpg on the highway while the LS 500 outputs 416 horsepower on 91-octane gasoline.
Whatever the future holds for the Tundra, we wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota were to replicate the EcoBoost V6 formula that Ford introduced to the twelfth generation of the F-150. Speaking of which, both the 2.7- and 3.5-liter EcoBoost options are gaining popularity to the detriment of the Coyote V8.
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