Photo: Toyota
At the State Fair of Texas, the Big Three in Detroit came up with tons of special editions for their pickup trucks. Heck, Ford went the extra mile with the F-450 Super Duty Limited, which can be optioned out to the amazing price of $100,000. Toyota, meanwhile, didn’t have anything new to show at the Texas fair, mostly because the automaker has been focusing on its crossovers as of late.
With competition getting stiffer now that Ram prepares to unveil the all-new 1500 at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, it’s about time Toyota turned its focus to the body-on-frame models in the lineup. To this effect, the Japanese powerhouse prepares for the offensive, with the Tundra up for an overhaul. In addition to the full-size workhorse, Toyota is also working on updating the 4Runner and Sequoia, body-on-frame SUVs with genuine off-road capability.
Speaking to Automotive News, group vice president of marketing Ed Laukes made it clear: “To continue to be able to address that [updated competition], we have to work on upgrades.” About the period when the updated Tundra, Sequoia, and 4Runner will hit dealership lots, Ed expectedly kept his lips shut.
More impressively, however, Toyota takes into consideration to hybridize one of its pickup truck models. “There's absolutely no reason we couldn't have a hybrid truck. All those options, we're exploring. When you're trying to raise you CAFE limits for the entire brand, there's no option that isn't on the table,” Ed told the cited publication, and it’s the most sensible move possible when you consider that Ford is now working on a hybrid powertrain for the F-150.
Whatever updates Toyota plans for the three body-on-frame culprits, the truth of the matter is that all three are getting increasingly old. The 4Runner, for example, went on sale more than eight years ago. The Sequoia, on the other hand, is a decade old. As for the second generation of the Tundra, the full-size pickup truck can trace its roots all the way back to 2006.
Speaking to Automotive News, group vice president of marketing Ed Laukes made it clear: “To continue to be able to address that [updated competition], we have to work on upgrades.” About the period when the updated Tundra, Sequoia, and 4Runner will hit dealership lots, Ed expectedly kept his lips shut.
More impressively, however, Toyota takes into consideration to hybridize one of its pickup truck models. “There's absolutely no reason we couldn't have a hybrid truck. All those options, we're exploring. When you're trying to raise you CAFE limits for the entire brand, there's no option that isn't on the table,” Ed told the cited publication, and it’s the most sensible move possible when you consider that Ford is now working on a hybrid powertrain for the F-150.
Whatever updates Toyota plans for the three body-on-frame culprits, the truth of the matter is that all three are getting increasingly old. The 4Runner, for example, went on sale more than eight years ago. The Sequoia, on the other hand, is a decade old. As for the second generation of the Tundra, the full-size pickup truck can trace its roots all the way back to 2006.
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