Codenamed N300, the outgoing Tacoma is long in the tooth. Introduced in January 2015 as a 2016 model, the 4Runner’s truck sibling originally launched with a five-speed manual and six-speed automatic. Toyota discontinued the five-speed manual for a sixer, but given that 10-speed automatics are the norm in this day and age, an update is clearly needed.
Previously expected to premiere for 2023, the 2024 model year Tacoma will switch to the Toyota New Global Architecture – Frame platform. Alternately known as the F1, this platform went official with the 300-series Land Cruiser. Shared with the luxury-oriented LX, the Sequoia, as well as the Tundra, it was developed specifically for six- and four-pot engines, including hybrid-assisted mills such as the i-FORCE MAX V6.
A modular platform that can be adapted in overall length, wheelbase, and width, the TNGA-F will serve as the basis for the next-generation 4Runner, Hilux, Fortuner, and GX. Turning our attention back to the Tacoma, the 2024 redesign is expected to get a turbo four-cylinder lump.
The Fast Lane’s Roman Mica and Andre Smirnov understand from an “insider source” that we’re dealing with a 2.4-liter engine, namely the T24A-FTS of the NX, Highlander, RX, and Crown. A hybrid version of this engine is reportedly in the offing as well, which is plausible given the i-FORCE MAX twin-turbo V6 of the Tundra. Even though a naturally-aspirated V6 like the 2GR-FKS in the 2023 model year Tacoma isn’t as stressed as a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the times are a-changin’.
Toyota received a lot of criticism for discontinuing naturally-aspirated V8s from the Tundra’s options list in favor of force-fed V6s, but we need to remember that Ford sells way more EcoBoost V6-powered trucks than Coyote V8-powered trucks. General Motors now offers a 2.7-liter turbo across the board in the mid-sized Colorado and Canyon, a four-pot engine that outperforms the previous N/A V6 and Duramax turbo diesel.
On that note, how do you feel about the Tacoma going four-pot only?
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
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