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2022 Toyota Tundra Isn't Ready for Ram TRX Brawl, But It Could Fight a Raptor

According to the Japanese automaker’s “Born from Invincible” marketing ploy, the all-new 2022 Tundra builds on Toyota’s global truck heritage. But this contemporary offering might want to look a little more into the future.
2022 Toyota Tundra i-Force Max vs. the competition: Ram TRX, F-150 Raptor/PowerBoost, Chevy Silverado ZR2  33 photos
Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation
2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i-Force and i-Force Max powertrains
The Japanese company has just taken the wraps off its 2022 Tundra after some intensive teasing. Its marketing echoes will continue, though. The carmaker wants to keep the pickup truck fresh in our minds ahead of sending it across the nationwide network of dealerships later this year. And while Toyota speaks of how its “trucks have helped intrepid explorers truly go places for over 70 years,” it could be said that Tundras need to keep an eye on the near future more than anything else.

Sure, heritage is equally important. But the Tundra doesn’t have much to speak for itself, considering that we are only getting its third iteration after the nameplate was introduced at the turn of the millennium. Granted, it can easily piggyback on the legendary Land Cruiser moniker whenever it sees fit. After all, it shares a few interesting traits even with the equally all-new 300 series.

2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i\-Force and i\-Force Max powertrains
Photo: Toyota
For starters, both have lost their fabled V8 powertrains in favor of much leaner, sustainable twin-turbo V6 options. And the base V35A-FTS twin-turbo V6 unit is shared by the Tundra and the Land Cruiser J300, albeit with different power settings: 389 horsepower for the pickup and 409 horsepower for the SUV. But the Tundra probably won’t be an alternative for the LC300 crowd in North America, and we are better off waiting for the Lexus incarnation.

Instead, the 2022 Tundra will probably focus on fighting the latest arrivals in its segment. And it’s going to be a raging war since Ford has already started selling the hybrid F-150 PowerBoost and the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado just gained a feisty ZR2 configuration. Sure, the purists will say that Toyota has envisioned their 2022 Tundra on its path, not something that will be pitted against the F-150 PowerBoost or the off-road-prone Silverado ZR2.

But we have a feeling that many reviews will be eager to point out the differences between the new Japanese truck even against the likes of Blue Oval’s F-150 Raptor and the mighty Ram 1500 TRX. And while sometimes it will feel like comparing apples and oranges, other moments might show that it wasn’t such a crazy idea after all. The flagship 437-horsepower (with ten-speed auto) powertrain or the TRD Pro grade with 2.5-inch diameter FOX internal bypass shocks already hint that.

2022 Toyota Tundra official introduction with i\-Force and i\-Force Max powertrains
Photo: Toyota
For now, all we have are the numbers, as incomplete as they may be in the case of the 2022 Tundra. By the way, believe it or not, but Toyota has ditched the traditional leaf spring approach to the rear suspension, instead debuting a new multi-link coil springs rear setup. And it still managed to increase the maximum towing capacity by 17.6% compared to the previous iteration, to 12k lbs. (5,443 kg). Meanwhile, the maximum payload has also jumped 11% to 1,940 lbs., which is around 880 kg.

The newly electrified i-Force Max hybrid flagship twin-turbo V6 engine has no less than 437 hp and 538 lb-ft (729 Nm) of twist. This is clearly enough to have future customers thinking about besting the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost with its 430-horsepower electrified powertrain in terms of efficiency. Or, if they want to lead an off-road life, the TRD Pro versions will probably square off with the 2022 Silverado ZR2 (traditional 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft/623 Nm) at any remote camping site.

Some might even consider going after the third-generation 2022 F-150 Raptor if Toyota sticks to the plan of making everything in the range a GR (Gazoo Racing) representative. There’s just one pickup truck out there that looks untouchable right now. It's the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, but the 702-horsepower 6.2-liter Hemi V8 monster is just a limited model that won’t be produced past the current model year...

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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