2023 will be a great year for mid-size pickups in the United States, where Toyota dominates the segment with its long-running Tacoma. Chevrolet and GMC prepare to roll out heavy refreshes of the Colorado and Canyon, all of them powered by four-cylinder turbo mills, and the Ford Motor Company will replace its Ranger with the T6.2 for the 2024 model year.
We already know all there is to know about the Colorado and Canyon, and we’re pretty sure that Ford is going to start making the new Ranger in July 2023. Essentially a thorough redesign of the outgoing T6, the newcomer is expected to feature an updated 2.3-liter EcoBoost as the base powerplant. For the Raptor, the global version’s 3.0-liter EcoBoost seems to be the right choice, especially because the Bronco Raptor also uses this engine.
What about the segment-leading Tacoma? For starters, plenty of things need to be changed to secure Toyota’s dominance over the Big Three in Detroit and lesser competitors from abroad. Codenamed N300, the outgoing Tacoma is mechanically and dimensionally similar to the preceding N2x0 series before it, a pickup that launched in 2004 for the 2005 model year. To understand how long ago 2004 is, bear in mind that second-gen Tacos were originally produced at the NUMMI assembly plant in California, a complex that currently produces Tesla electric vehicles.
It’s past it, alright, but old doesn’t necessarily mean bad. The Tacoma is extremely popular in the mid-size truck segment for its reliability. Its naturally-aspirated engines, six-speed automatic transmission, and six-speed manual have proven dependable as well, and rust isn’t an issue any longer. Be that as it may, consumer preferences change over time. Those preferences go far beyond sensible things like reliability through simplicity, which brings us to the 2024 redesign that was recently leaked by design patent images filed with Brazil’s patent and trademark office.
Extremely similar in design to the all-electric concept truck from December 2021, the fourth-generation Tacoma is - no surprises here - similar in design to the Tundra as well. That’s because the Tundra’s platform also underpins the mid-size truck, a body-on-frame architecture developed with forced induction and hybrid assistance in mind. A 2.4-liter turbo four rather than the Tundra’s 3.4-liter turbo sixer is believed to serve as the base engine, and a 2.4-liter turbo hybrid may be the optional powertrain.
Masterfully rendered by pixel artist Carbizzy based on the design patent images mentioned earlier, the Tacoma won’t join the full-size Tundra at TMMTX in Texas. It will be produced on the same assembly line in Mexico that currently makes the N300. Owned by the Proeza Group, tier 1 supplier Metalsa has recently opened many job positions at their new Guanajuato Plant, where the 2024 Toyota Tacoma’s frame will be made.
Given its relation to the Tundra, the mid-size truck is certain to be much nicer on the inside compared to the soon-to-be-discontinued N300. It’s also certain that loads of new tech will be added to the recipe. But alas, all of these additions will lead to a slightly higher starting price for the segment’s best-selling truck. For future reference, the 2023 Toyota Tacoma now retails at $27,750 base through $47,185 for the TRD Pro.
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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