Previously a compact pickup, the long-running Tacoma became a mid-size truck for the second generation that came out in 2004 for the 2005 model year. Redesigned once again in 2015 as a 2016 model, the segment’s best-selling truck will be thoroughly modernized for the fourth-gen.
Similar to the 2022 Tundra, the 2023 Tacoma will receive a solid rear axle with coils rather than leaf springs. Spied by The Fast Lane’s Andre Smirnov in Colorado, every single prototype featured in the clip below is rocking rear-axle camouflage. Very similar to the Tundra in terms of styling up front and from the side view, the all-new Taco obviously flaunts a smaller cab.
Equipped with six-lug wheels devoid of center caps, these double-cab prototypes are fitted with a Tundra-inspired single exhaust tip that exits on the driver's side. Being double cabs, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the bed length is five feet (1.52 meters) like the current-gen Tacoma Double Cab.
Similar to the Land Cruiser, LX, and Tundra, the body-on-frame platform is completely new. Alternatively known as the F1, the TNGA-F was developed with electrification in mind. This architecture wasn’t developed for V8 applications, hence the lack of eight-cylinder engines in the aforementioned vehicles. In other words, prospective customers will probably have to make do with a base four-cylinder lump and an optional six-pot engine.
It remains to be seen if the I4 will be turbocharged, but it’s utmost certain the V6 is a twin-turbo affair. Dubbed V35A-FTS, even though it displaces 3.4 liters, the force-fed mill is currently available in three flavors as far as the Tundra is concerned. 348 horsepower and 405 pound-feet (550 Nm) at 2,000 revolutions per minute open the list, followed by 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm). At the very top of the lineup, the i-Force Max boasts 437 hybrid horsepower and 583 pound-feet (790 Nm) at 2,400 rpm.
A ten-speed automatic transmission should be mentioned as well, along with a modernized cockpit with over-the-air software update capability. Based on the e-truck concept presented last year, there’s no denying that Toyota wants to enter the zero-emission arena with an all-electric Tacoma. Oh, and one last thing: all of the prototypes spied by Andre feature rear disc brakes.
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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