Simple and reliable, Toyota's ever-popular Tacoma prepares for big changes. The 2024 model is right around the corner on a brand-new platform, namely the TNGA-F architecture introduced by the Land Cruiser.
Also shared with the full-size Tundra, this platform will elevate the mid-size Tacoma in more than one way. For starters, it promises better fuel economy through electrification. Toyota has recently teased a TRD Pro tailgate with the i-Force MAX badge on the passenger side, although it's too soon to tell if Toyota refers to the same 3.4-liter twin-turbo sixer as seen in the Tundra.
Even more recently, the Japanese automaker teased the Tacoma TRD Pro with Fox Racing QS3 coilovers up front and – get this – disc brakes for the rear wheels. Based on said photos, the peeps at AutoYa have rendered the off-road truck as closely to series-production reality as possible. AutoYa also used older teaser pics and a design patent for this rendering.
Equipped with all-terrain rubber from the factory, the TRD Pro will be joined by Toyota's first series-production Trailhunter trim level. It's not clear if the Trailhunter will slot above or below the TRD Pro, but given the ARB rear bumper, it should be pretty capable off the beaten path. Think at least Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss capable, if not a little bit more. The Tundra is most certain to follow suit with a Trailhunter of its own, likely to be introduced later in 2023 as a 2024 model.
Expected to premiere in the coming weeks, the Tacoma will be assembled exclusively in Mexico at Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California in Tijuana. The fourth gen's frame will be produced by Metalsa in Guanajuato, as per the Proeza Group-owned supplier.
A lot weighs on the shoulders of the mid-size Tacoma for the 2024 model year, with expectations growing higher every single day. The Japanese automaker simply cannot make a mess of the fourth gen's rollout, at least not in the same way it did with the TNGA-F Tundra.
The V6-only Tundra finished 2022 fourth on the leaderboard, right behind the Ram line of trucks, with 104,246 deliveries to its name. As for the Tacoma, the midsizer clocked 237,323 sales in the United States last year, down from 252,520 in 2021, due to supply chain-related constraints. It is the best-selling midsizer in this part of the world, and Toyota cannot afford to lose its crown to the redesigned Colorado and Canyon twins.
$27,750 is the starting price of the 2023 model year Tacoma at press time, sans the $1,335 destination fee. The base specification comes with the Access Cab and six-foot bed, rear-wheel drive, a 2.7-liter I4 engine with 159 ponies on deck, and a six-speed automatic tranny.
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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