2020 Tacoma Teased

My predictions are:

LED Headlights
Newer entune head unit with carplay
New seats with hight adjustment and different cloth
Small cosmetic nose job (bumper/grill)
New Flash for auto trans and engine ecu

All relatively easy tweaks to make it competitive until the 2022 Gen 4

I think gen4 will also include a 4 cylinder mild hybrid.
No turbo, 8 speed auto, diesel and no more manual.

 

I too feel this may be the final gen for the MT

 

Yeah I feel like there has to be some kind cosmetic change, otherwise why is like half the front end cut off and hidden in the teaser?

Also, while I'd love there to be a seat height adjustment (it's desperately needed), I'm not sure how they'd do it with the current roof line - it's so low, I don't see how the seats could go any higher and be safe. I mean, at 5'10" I could have the seat go up another inch or so, but taller drivers might run into issues.

 

I’m guessing he hasn’t seen the grill on the Tundra.

 

Maybe they will change the shape of the seat base to give more room.

 

If they gave us seats that were more bucketed, so my butt doesn't keep sliding forward, that alone might make me switch. lol

 

That was exactly what I had in mind. The seat is currently like a sliding board and I am constantly having to slide back.

 

From the video, appears at least the leather seats are the same as current. Would'nt surprise me if Toyota makes power seat(s) only available with the premium package.

 

It is about pairing the right transmission/gearing with the engine. I test drove a 10 speed F150. It was very smooth. I have also test driven the new land cruiser, and the 8 speed, while nice, is not as smooth as the 6 speed in mine.

The Land Cruiser 8 speed is the AA80F, same that is in the Lexus LS 460. The RC F and GS F have the AA80E, which is essentially the same transmission with different gearing. All the 8 speeds are paired to much larger engines than the Tacoma has. The 6 speed Land Cruiser transmission in the 08-15 shifts perfect. One of the best transmissions I have owned. The LC 8 speed is nice, but shifting is more erratic and the consensus from LC owners is it is only better if you plan to put larger tires on. I test drove one and did not like the shifting. So an 8 speed is not going to necessarily be better.

Ultimately, the Tacoma transmission Aisin AWR6B45 (aka AC60) is a poor performing unit (reliability seems to be good/what you would expect from Toyota). Can programming fix the issue? Sure, as aftermarket programmers have shown there is room for improvement, but it still isn't great. I think I'd prefer to have the old and dependable A750F 5 speed that was universally loved across the Toyota platform, shifted amazingly smooth and was robust enough for a V8. It made me not miss having a manual (the 6 spd manual in the 2nd gen Tacoma was not great). The A750F would be better than the current AC60, but I know Toyota would consider that a "step backwards" based on other manufacturers going up in gears. The AC 60 used in the Tacoma gets paired with a lot of other Toyota engines, including the 1TR (2.0L) 2TR (2.7L) 1GD and 2GD diesels. It is used in some Isuzus as well. My understanding from reviewing other forums is this transmission has the same issues shifting universally. Ultimately, I'd like to see a better transmission put in the truck, don't really care about the number of gears. I just want a smooth reliable transmission. When that happens, I will have another Tacoma.

 

https://jalopnik.com/ford-ranger-demand-is-absolutely-unhinged-ford-already-1832228163

Interesting, looks like Ford underestimated demand for new Ranger.

 

beat me to the punch

 

Is no one guessing a semi update dash? Toyota just released their Corolla hatchback with new dash design.

 

If you look at the power seat video teaser, its pretty much the same dash, you'll notice the upgraded head unit button just as the person sits down and the driver side cubby / pocket is missing and see some other buttons there, but layout and design looks pretty much the same.

 

oh snap. Thanks for heads up to teaser video. Awesome. So headlights and new etune... we can all swap for if we want. hopefully lol. Awesome.

 

Ford uses the same 10 speed transmission in the Ranger that is in the F-150. Ford actually did simulations all the way up to a 13 speed trans for the Ranger. So I would think that Toyota's 8 speed should fit the Tacoma no problem.

My experience with riding in the F-150 is the trans shifts silky smooth. But it still shifts A LOT.
30 MPH and already in 7th gear?

 

The current Toyota/Aisin six speed was designed with a compact gear structure to fit in place of the old 4 and 5 speeds without modification. The basic Tacoma design and chassis has really not changed dimension wise from the last gen. It was designed as part of the TNGA process to fit in multiple applications.

The Ranger was built from the ground up, so they could design it to easily fit the current Ford offerings. Just because the 10 speed F150 Tranny fits in the new ranger does not mean that the 8 speed will easily fit without modification to the Tacoma. I have no idea what the size differences are between the AWR6B45 6 and AA80F 8 or if the top plates are similar. My guess is they are dissimilar enough that it would require a number of changes to work. I don't think Toyota would consider changing to the 8 speed on the 3rd gen unless it is an easy drop in that would have small cost to change.

 

i believe it skips gears under normal use. such as 1-3-5-7-....

and i agree more gears doesn't mean better experience. too many gears means the ecu has to use more processing cycles and sensor inputs to determine what gear is needed. weighing factors such as efficiency vs power to select a gear. this extra processing is what drivers experience when the truck doesn't seem to know what it wants to do. too much overlap in gearing that meets the requirements for forward motion.

 

WTF already a Tacoma redesign, what about the 4runner that is the same model as 2010!!!!

 

Toyota also is not great at creating elaborate software for engine/trans either. It was made very apparent when Matt described the changes he made during EV 1.05. Toyota keeps it very basic.

My guess is new front end, Entune 3.0 & a power seat on Limited model or Tech package.

 

This is a refresh, not a redesign. Chill.