Redesigned Tacoma in 2023?

Ford got the Maverick out at the right time. The Tacoma is great and all, but if Ford can get Mavericks out. Which is easier said than done. The Maverick will take a big bite out of new 3rd gen sales.

I guess it's offical the Maverick is a truck, there are contractor caps available for them. Never seen a Ridgeline with a contracors cap.

 

I think some of my posts were deleted, which quoted some sensitive information posted in this thread. I would've hoped it would've been just edited, than outright deleted by moderation.

I think one of the users here described pretty well what happened. A bunch of posts got deleted, including the affected party.

Maybe features, but no to a facelift, except in the rarest of circumstances. On even numbered lifecycles, like say 8 year runs, automakers will execute updates in twos. This truck was introduced in 2015, then updated in late 2017 with a roster of visible changes, then updated significantly in late 2019. Late 2021 brought the last of major updates and MY 2023 is end of the line.

I understand that in my position, because it's never good being a firsthand source, when closely connected to these things. I almost learned that the hard way when reporting on the Bronco 2-3 years ago and basically leaking the reveal date too early, which was a test on my fiance and me (work for same company, different departments), to sniff out a mole.

I respect that greatly, because it's very risky. I am surprised I have not heard from Toyota too much, as I cover my tracks very well thankfully. And likely won't remember me from days past.

Yes, we are. Either Toyota's own events in May 2023 in Plano or 2023 Chicago International Auto Show instead next February. That's where the 2nd generation and 1st generation debuted, but that's just speculation on my part. Toyota could wait even longer like with the Tundra and wait until late 2023 if desired. I believe the first pre-program mules first sourced in 2017, but the first actual program mules appeared in January 2019. Tundra got delayed significantly, but wasn't even revealed in full until September 2021. For Tacoma they surfaced in October 2021, which will be at least shorter than with the Tundra. Those spy shots are nothing but marketing, because proving grounds and nocturnal runs could easily hide the existence of a redesign coming. They want people to know it's coming, without being too transparent about it.

Many Toyota vehicles have been tested in secret and drop like a bombshell, because marketing didn't favor "spy" shots.

That's speculation on your part, being that I have said so many times before with proof, that the 2022 Tundra kept to the same launch month from mid-2019 to December 2021, when it in fact did go on sale ultimately. In example, the 4Runner delays I am told have nothing to due with COVID nor chip shortages. Toyota also sold the most Tacomas and 4Runners they have ever in the history of BOTH nameplates last year and continue with record numbers, compared to even before the shortages, so I am not buying the surface worrying people keep randomly applying to different companies. Toyota is not as affected by it at all regarding their utilities, which they have prioritized at all costs. Especially redesigns.

Second, I find it rather pessimistic to make that claim and not study the actual scheduling Toyota currently has set for the program against potential delays. A December 2023 Job 1 date, points in most cases to early 2024 launch. At the very worst, a 6-10 month delay still arrives in 2024, so your theory doesn't make sense at all. Toyota has at worst delayed it 4 months currently, independent of other programs for unexplained reasons.

Toyota has an already done design being fully engineered, are trotting out mules in front of the cameras, and are ready to turn the chapter, as soon as engineering is complete enough to be signed off. While the final article isn't yet road bound, it will start running later this year.

I really don't care for doomsday theories, which conveniently refer to external factors, that don't take into account a company's unique internal culture against its competition who might be more choked on that front than they are. Not to mention recent launches in Tundra and Sequoia coming to market as scheduled.

This is dead accurate, because Toyota could easily announce the vehicle in 2023 and do press for it 9-12 months ahead of market launch, using late stage prototype builds and later in 2023, pre-production units. It's not being revealed this year, but definitely before 2024 starts.

 

Yes we did, one of the better decisions Jim Hackett made as our CEO. Toyota might have been in parallel watching what we were doing and have something coming to market, sooner than later. To benchmark us, they would have started that effort before we even revealed the Maverick. It's being suggested for the 2024 or 2025 MY, to be revealed to authorized visitors in Plano at the next Toyota Confidential in May/June 2023.

We leaked in mid-2018 that we were developing the P758 (Maverick), which didn't appear in spy shots until December 2018 as a Escape-based mule (below). Toyota either was chasing Hyundai's future Santa Cruz or took that early intel on our Maverick very serious.



For them to have such a vehicle ready for the 2024 model year at all, sounds unrealistic, but still possible if they committed to doing that no later than 2019. That is unless, it is meant to be 2024.5 vehicle at earliest, meaning it got initialized during the pandemic in 2020.


Yet weirdly enough, Toyota "denied" the need for such a vehicle in May or early June 2020. CarBuzz is to me, the gutter of credible journalism, so I question what Sheldon Brown actually knew to be in planning at Toyota in the spring of 2020, compared to Mike Sweers who he reports to.


https://www.autonews.com/sales/toyota-mulls-compact-pickup-theres-catch

https://www.motortrend.com/news/toyota-compact-pickup-truck-under-consideration/

 

I'd rather see a small BOF pick up from Toyota, I'm probably in the minority though.

No reason Toyota couldn't build a BOF compact, and a unidody to compete with the Maverick.

Many manufactures sold passenger cars of the same class for many years, and look at how many compact crossover vehicles there are from the same brand.

 

TNGA-F probably cannot support such a vehicle, unlike the TNGA-K which is likely cheaper to do. Body on frame product that's compact would only work, on downsizing outdated global IMV from Hilux size and federalizing it somehow, plus finding capacity to build it in North America.

My question about this alleged vehicle, is where will this unibody be necessarily built? Mexico? Would be stupid to build it in USA, when it would have much thinner profit margins than a Tacoma. Unless it would be built in Canada. Japan would just be a DOA business case, but Toyota knows what works for them. In random news, the Accord sedan is dead after 2027.

 

Probably Mexico, maybe Canada. I don't think South America would be an option since Mexico is closer.

I see more older Accords on the road then the latest generation, but that's just because there are more of them, even though there are probably more of those totaled everyday than new ones being sold.

The new Integra is a nice car, but I was disappointed that it wasn't a coupe. Not that Honda lost a customer on that decision.

 

Ugghhhh……now the Maverick is the “Tacoma Killer”

where have I heard this before?

 

Although you said they are selling more 4Runners than they ever have, I hope Toyota knows what they are doing. The current 4Runner is a gas hog and long overdue for a new generation. Gas prices are going to pressure Toyota.

4 door sedans aren’t very popular in the USA. The current Accord is not very good looking. Inside it’s fine but outside it is goofy. I’m surprised they haven’t killed it already.

 

Someone who wants a Tacoma will wait and pay whatever is needed. I would never consider anything else? Call me a fanboy if you want, only a Tacoma is a Tacoma.

 

Okay, a VW fan might only want a VW, so they would probably drive a rebadged Ranger with a VW emblem on the grill.

I was specifically speaking about fleet sales, and those decisions are driven by cost.

Would you only purchase Tacomas if you were a fleet buyer, and something else was cheaper and saved the company money on fuel?

 

I’m just a consumer, I can’t care less about fleets and profits. Toyota will sell everything they produce, no matter what. They can’t respond to the demand at the moment.

 

Well it's not looking good for the bronco...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopn...ng-ford-bronco-engine-failures-1849014705/amp

 

“Never buy the first year of a new generation.”

or the second year…

 

If the RX power train options are what we can expect for the next generation Tacoma/4runner. I'm out..

 

It's a Ford, you can't be surprised by mechanical failures, and recalls. Not that there has been an engine recall. I wonder why this is a Bronco exclusive issue, so far?

 

I wonder what impact this will have on 4Runner sales, as BOF loyalists, and Toyota loyalists seem to like normally aspirated engines, and more importantly simplicity.

Some might stick with Toyota because it's Toyota, but for those who don't care if it's not NA, might go for any other CUV Toyota, and those who want a 4Runner that isn't TC might go for any other CUV Toyota.


Toyota is selling a lot of Tundras, but not as many Mavericks as Ford is selling, and those numbers will go up once Ford can meet the demand. Different class of vehicles, so why compare the two? How many Tundra buyers opt for something from the big three, because the new Tundra does not offer anything different from the big three?

 

I don't expect the 6th gen to be built in Japan, even if there is a JDM version built for Japan. They still have the Fortuner and Hilux, does that market need a new generation of truck to compete in the market place? Japan will probably go TNGA F, but those vehicles won't be shipped to NA. You have to go to a Lexus dealer if you want a 300 series.

I don't know if a vehicle designed, built, and sold in North America can carry the legacy of their Japanese ancestors.

Toyota might build good trucks for the North American market, but they are not the same as a Toyota product that was imported from Japan.

 

From every industry insider who has shared here (people working on the actual parts, engineers in the industry, etc.) it is still on time even with supply issues.

 

i could see the new Frontier doing really well if the tacoma moves to a turbo powertrain

 

I tend to agree with this. However, I bought a 2000 Tundra which was the first year. I still have it 22 years later with no issues and still runs like a champ. The 1st gen Tundra is the right size for me. New Tundra's are bigger than I want and maybe the new Tacoma will interest me.