4th Gen Tacoma (2024+)

Probably look like a small Tundra

 

Disk brakes and driver side oh shit handle confirmed.

 

I really doubt a smaller Tundra like Taco will look great, let us see.

 

You can tell they are trying to hide rear coil suspension. Also clearly shows 6-lugs with rear disc brakes.

 

Crossing my fingers (but not holding my breath) for a single turbo V6 hybrid and not a turbo 4 banger

 

looks like a 2022 nissan frontier

 

FROM A STYLE STANDPOINT - I expect it to be an evolution of the 3rd gen design, just with different proportions and some styling cues from the new Tundra.

The EV Tacoma Concept is probably pretty close and I really like the way it looks.

 

Not a chance. Turbo 4 and Turbo 4 Hybrid will be the options. If you want more cylinders, you’ll have to go with the Tundra.

 

You're not kidding! Me neither!

 

They're all built on the same frame now...might make it easier to swap in a TT V6

 

Dont think so. The frame rails are gonna be closer together than tundra, so mounts won't line up

 

You could probably swap one but Toyota won’t make that a factory option. Doesn’t match their formula. Toyota seems to stick to a pretty tame power to weight ratio which their vehicles. If you want fast, they send you to Lexus.

 

Where did you get this theory from? I don't believe there's any source out there, who will agree.

Yes, very much under pressure and it explains random moves they've made. They won't come and spell it out, but are dropping hints all over on purpose. It's why I serious SMH at people suggesting, Toyota wants to take their sweet time and come out in 2027.

Well, before they weren't very pressured. After the 2020 refresh, they're in a rush to get it out there ASAP, as they are 18 months behind. The renewed competition isn't here yet, but they're coming quick. Frontier isn't seen as a major threat, while GM and Ford are.

The idea behind this 4th generation Tacoma was launching anywhere between October 2021 and September 2023. They shot for August 2022 initially, when this generation began production in 2015.

By 2019, they lost 1 year to TNGA issues. Now they've tacked on some more months and are now in the middle of a pandemic+associated chip shortage, so it's probably getting frantic.

From product planning decisions the previous decade, they somewhat regret not choosing an earlier timeline, to begin development when things were much easier to get done in a timely fashion. Toyota just commits to things way too late and start scrambling. You cannot predict the future and assume you have all the time in the world.

A lot of folks get at me, for thinking everything should be "sooner", but looking at the ICE vs BEV side of things, I had a point. Take too long to launch new ICE products, you risk them being obsolete and affected by regulations.

Unfortunately I'm not a firsthand source for this info, but in going off what I have been told, you are right. That's it right there.

The Tundra borrowing from the current truck, pretty much meant going in this evolutionary direction. And of course, SALES. You don't want to alienate a huge source of buyers, by going crazy on the design of a best seller. Makes me LOL on how cynically they approached this.


The conservatism here, reminds me though of BMW some 20 years ago, as well as recently with the regular 3-Series (G20) vs 4-Series/M4/M3. They never mess with that car too much, but hardly care about other models or submodels.


The BMW 3-Series being the bread and butter for that company, meant back in the late 90s/early 2000s dotcom bubble era, they were just ecstatic to make a boastful statement, starting with the new land barge at the top nicknamed Bangle Butt 7-Series (E65).


The roots for that E65 went back to the mid-90s with a design study/concept, but the design wasn't ironed out in full until 1998, at the peak of quintessential BMW. Quietly locked down to production form in January 1999, in the halls of the FIZ in Munich, Germany. No one in 1999 knew what was coming to soundly reject it and stop BMW in their tracks.


In 2000, everyone thought the cars in the spy shots were just prototypes with a temporary trunk appendage and chunky stuff upfront, to hide a sleek design. How wrong they were...


Sounds just like the case with the new Tundra 2 decades later. New 7 later debuted in the summer of 2001 and hit the States in January of 2002, to loud uproar and rush buys of its predecessor, in rebellion.


BMW execs immediately knew as of late 2001, they had to somewhat reverse course, due to the E65 criticism, on other future models, but in German tradition of perfectionism, never admit fault publicly. You just quietly change course or try to salvage your mistakes.


Well, almost every new BMW through the 2005 model year, had already been finalized and frozen for production. No more changes allowed. Only some mid-cycle/LCI stuff for 2004, got sent back to be toned down, as happened with the 2004 X5 midcycle/LCI. It looked more like the cat-eyed 2004 5-Series as of October 2001 engineering reviews, before getting 11th hour revisions in early 2002, roughly 1 1/2 years before showroom intro in late 2003.


Almost immediately, Bangle's hand was forced and he ordered the quickest, most expensive refresh on a BMW ever for the new flagship 7-Series, hated by the media and traditionalists. The car had first come out in November 2001-January 2002 across world markets, yet by November of 2002, BMW already had designed the refresh (arrived spring 2005 as an '06) in record time.


Typically, mid cycle changes took longer release in previous generations. The previous generation E38 7-Series, launched in Germany in June 1994 and USA in November 1994 for 1995, wasn't even updated with a refresh until October 1998 as a '99.


The generation even before that, E32, never even saw visible changes from its September 1986 launch until March 1992, when a 4.0L V8 was added below 5.0L V12 to replace 3.5L I6 and wider kidney grilles became standard equipment. Plus the addition of dual airbags (not common then) for all markets effective Q3 1992 (USA for 1993MY). Almost six years!


Updating a controversial car in just 3 short years, was passed off by BMW's "proud" German execs in 2005, as "standard operating procedure" and "nothing to see here". The amount of 7-Series changes made for 2006, said more than enough.

Typically a car like that, would've been refreshed 4 to 4.5 years in, not 3 years. First run sold well "enough", but to tacky celebrities and badge leasers, new untapped markets. (Tundra will appeal to people who trust the nameplate or bros who like something in your face)

More importantly at that point in late 2001, they were resuming development of the 5th generation E90 3-Series sports sedan, after a hiatus ordered at the end of 1999/2000, to spend time getting the future E81 1-Series for 2004 up to snuff.

Chris Bangle was told in no uncertain terms in late 2001, no more wild cars and BMW execs went out of their way to make sure, that the E90 design approved in 2002 was committeed to hell and uber conservative.

So, the 2006 3-Series came out in early 2005, more normal than the 2004 5-Series sedan, 2004 X3, and 2004 6-Series coupe/cabrio. Same for the coupe. Ditto for the 2007 X5, not looking ridiculous. Also remained that way for most future BMWs until 2018, with the exception of the 2009 X6. Like BMW with their 3-Series sedan, Toyota NEVER messes around with the Tacoma.

The big Tundra is merely a showpiece of over the top aggression, to draw in new buyers as BMW did with the 2002 7-Series and will do for 2023 all over again with their new generation G70 this summer. The 2026 Tundra might dial down things, as unlike BMW, Toyota won't rush a refresh 1 year earlier for 2025, unless the Tundra performs very below expectations this year.

They don't seem to be very threatened with making such a bold statement with the Tundra, but the Tacoma? Haha, nope. Gotta be extra cautious, just like we are with our F-150.

The next Tacoma had to be a great balance of everything and in terms of heritage, somewhat also hearkens back to this right? That was the first thing I noticed, which made it more than obvious. The trapezoidal headlight.

 

Any news on the 4th gen Taco or 6th Gen 'Runner?

Figured I'd check back in.

 

Damn that thing is fugly.

 

Something tells me that will suck...

 

To reiterate in case anyone missed it, this just isn't true. It's been long confirmed to be sharing the TNGA-F platform with the Tundra and other upcoming BOF Lexus & Toyota Trucks and SUVs. The test mules running around right now are all TNGA-F underneath.

Toyota is not Ridgelining the Tacoma.

 

The internet is always fascinating in how many people will just make proud, absolute statements such as that that are based entirely on nothing whatsoever. Somehow there's also always people that react to those baseless "absolute" statements as if they're now objectively true because some rando just declared it somewhere on the internet.

*rendering of vehicle done by some random photoshopper* ... "wow that is hideous. Toyota, you've let us all down and I'm no longer buying your product!"

*proclamation of turning Tacomas into minivans with no evidence* ... "wow, thanks a lot Toyota. You used to know how to make manly men vehicles back in the 80s without all these girly features and now you're turning our beloved manly truck into a crossover with a CVT and 3 cylinder engine?! That's it, I'm done with Toyota!"

People, man...

 

I suspect those people have always been around. Their access to and ability to generate stupid content used to be more constricted and more readily judged by immediate flesh-and-blood peer groups. Without those throttling and mediating bodies though, well…here we are.

 

Do we still think these are highly modified Tundra bodies? Or do we think these mules are somewhat representative of production cab dimensions? I'm concerned about that second row, it looks like we'd be losing space in a DC model compared to the 2nd or 3rd gens.