The best-selling mid-size pickup truck still marks pretty impressive sales numbers, despite the age but if we consider that the competition is getting tougher every year, it’s no wonder that the Japanese manufacturer is preparing an all-new version of the truck for the next year. From what we know so far, the new generation will debut as the 2023 Toyota Tacoma and we expect to see a full load of novelties,
The testing model has already been spotted on the road and we can see some of the styling bits. More importantly, we know what’s going on under the skin. The new model will come with a completely new platform, based on the recently introduced 2022 Tundra. This will bring novelties in other aspects as well, starting from the new powertrain, new safety technologies and many more. Naturally, the cabin should come equipped with all kinds of the latest tech goodies.
The all-new 2023 Toyota Tacoma should debut sometime in the second half of 2022.
2023 Toyota Tacoma Redesign
This redesign is about to bring all kinds of important novelties and the first thing that comes to mind is the platform. As you may presume, the new generation will ride on the company’s new, body-on-frame version of the new TNGA platform, codenamed F1. The platform is modular and already underpins the new Tundra, Land Cruiser and Lexus LX.
What’s particularly important in the case of Tacoma is that it will finally switch to a fully-boxed, high-strength frame, which isn’t the case with the current generation that features a C-channel frame. This change will bring a significant increase in terms of rigidity and ensure better off-road performance, higher towing and payload capacity etc. Another change we expect to see is in terms of suspension. While the current model still used good-old leaf springs, the new one should come with coil-spring rear suspension and improve on-road ride quality.
Exterior
As we already mentioned, the test model has been spotted on the road and despite the camouflage, it shows a few styling bits. From what we can see, the overall shape won’t change significantly, though we do expect to see slightly bigger dimensions. In terms of aesthetics, we expect a lot of inspiration from the new Tundra, especially at the front. The grille and headlights should feature a similar layout.
Of course, we have no doubt that the TRD Pro will carry on as well. This model has always been famous for distinctive styling details and, more importantly, numerous off-road upgrades. The 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro shouldn’t be an exception. It will continue with upgraded suspension, locking differentials and similar features, while we also expect to see a new generation of Crawl Control system.
Interior
When it comes to interior design, the current generation isn’t particularly impressive and therefore, we count on big improvements. The current model looks nice but also features mostly low-rent materials. This should change with the 2023 Toyota Tacoma, while we also count on the implementation of the latest tech features. Although we don’t expect that huge touchscreen from Tundra, something like a 10 or 12-inch screen sounds quite likely. We also count on updates regarding safety features.
Another big problem of the current generation is the interior space. Simply, there is not enough room, no matter the cab style. We expect that the new 2023 Toyota Tacoma will be able to provide more space, especially at the front, which currently isn’t particularly generous with headroom. Just like the current generation, the new model should come in extended and double cab layouts.
2023 Toyota Tacoma Engines
Big changes under the hood will also come. The current 3.5-liter V6 will be replaced and the latest reports suggest that the new Tacoma will come with a 2.4-liter turbo-four engine, the one that debuted in the new Lexus NX. This engine puts out around 275 horsepower, which is similar to the outgoing V6. However, 317 pound-feet of torque looks way more compared to the V6’s 265. That increase should ensure higher towing capacity, while we also count on notably better fuel economy.
Speaking of the fuel economy, we also expect to see a hybrid version of the truck. At this point, the exact details are still unknown but we presume that the system will probably be based on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, but with a little bit more power compared to other Toyota models that use this system, such as Highlander, RAV4 etc.
2023 Toyota Tacoma Release Date and Price
The 2023 Toyota Tacoma will most likely arrive sometime in the second half of 2022, though the more precise date is yet to be announced. We presume that base versions will cost around 28.000 dollars. Of course, the competition remains the same – there are models like Chevy Colorado, Nissan Frontier, Jeep Gladiator, Ford Ranger etc.