Coming courtesy of TRD JON, the manufacturer-estimated fuel economy ratings for the all-new Tacoma are out. The good news is that Toyota's 2.4-liter turbo I4 is better on dinosaur juice than the previous-generation truck's naturally-aspirated engines. The bad news? As expected, there's not much of an improvement over the 2.7 and 3.5 mills.
For 2023, the third-gen Tacoma returned anything between 21 miles per gallon (make that 11.2 liters per 100 kilometers in the metric system) to 18 miles per gallon (13.0 liters per 100 kilometers) on the EPA's combined test cycle. Step up to the brand-new 2024 model, and you're looking at 23 to 20 miles per gallon (between 10.2 and 11.8 liters per 100 kilometers).
Care to guess which are the most frugal versions of the bunch? The manufacturer estimates show 23 for the SR and SR5 trim levels with rear-wheel drive and the automatic transmission. Opting for 4x4 results in 21 miles per gallon (11.2 liters per 100 kilometers), and 4x4 in combination with the manual transmission gets you 20 (11.8 l/100 km) in combined driving.
Ratings for the i-FORCE MAX aren't currently available. Why? As per none other than the Japanese automaker, 2024 Toyota Tacoma i-FORCE MAX production is scheduled to start in April 2024. Internally referred to as N400, the mid-size pickup will be produced in Mexico exclusively at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Guanajuato and Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California facilities.
Similar to the Tundra i-FORCE MAX, the Tacoma i-FORCE MAX is rocking a high-voltage battery with a capacity of 1.87 kilowatt hours. The hybrid part of the powertrain further includes a 48-horsepower electric motor located between the 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder lump and the 8-speed automatic. The 6-speed manual can't be had with hybrid assistance.
Photo: TRD JON on YouTube
Referred to as T24A-FTS, the internal combustion engine is also shared with the likes of the Lexus NX, Toyota Highlander, the RX, Crown, LM, TX, and the Lexus LM-twinned Toyota Alphard. Also marketed under the Vellfire moniker, the luxury minivan isn't available in the United States market because there's not much in the way of demand for posh minivans.
Based on the TNGA-F platform of the Tundra, the redesigned Tacoma is understandably pricier than its predecessor. Think $31,500 sans $1,495 destination charge for the SR XtraCab as opposed to $28,600 plus $1,495 destination charge for the SR Access Cab with two-wheel drive and the longest bed available.
It's kind of ludicrous that certain midsizers now cost in excess of $30K right off the bat. How has it come to this? Simply put, inflation and way more standard kit than midsizers from a decade ago. Speaking of which, the 2014 Toyota Tacoma started at $18,125.
How does the newcomer stack up to its main rivals in terms of pricing? Beginning with the Ranger, the Ford Motor Company wants at least $32,565 for an XL with rear-wheel drive. The Chevy Colorado is currently going for $29,200 before taxes, whereas the Nissan Frontier King Cab S 4x2 starts at $29,770.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News