Redesigned Tacoma in 2023?

Thankfully a Tundra or any full sized truck, will never be under consideration for me. I just don’t need additional tow capacity or interior space.

I am interested in better gas mileage for the 4Runner. If Toyota doesn’t improve that SIGNIFICANTLY in the next gen, I’m not sure what is next.

 

Most drivers don't need the capacity of a fullsize, and those who do probably only need it a small percentage of the time. I like the look of the Maverick, I'm not sure if I like FWD, or fwd bias AWD on a vehicle classified as a truck. The appeal of the Maverick is it's compact size. I also like the way a larger truck looks compared to the Maverick. The stance of the Maverick isn't to my liking, but it's not a midsize Tacoma or Ranger. Overall I think the Maverick makes for a good fuel efficient vehicle that does not provide the capabilities of a fullsize, or the image of a midsize truck.

 

I'm not sure why people are worried about a 'Yota turbo being unreliable. Sure, back in the 80's, turbos lasted 30k. But they've come a long way since then. The 80's was a long-ass time ago.

 

I would keep a Tacoma forever if feasible (I'm on number 12), I dont really need the towing capability but the passenger room of a full size. When its me and wife its fine, but the backseat legroom and room overall is terrible, add in car seats, etc. And let's be honest the mpg is sh*t compared to all the new fullsize options. I may try and hold out till our first is on the way, maybe the new Tacoma will have a bit more cab room. I got stuck with a 2021 Platinum Tundra for a rental in March, it was so nice to drive, super comfortable ride, so much room and the V8 powertrain was amazing, but 13 mpg and parking that thing was a bi*ch.

 

Totally agree, that I would buy in a heartbeat even at MSRP.

 

Yup, get in line behind me. Looks great!

 

I agree, I hate how the grill on the new tundra extends to the bottom onto the bumper...seems kinda odd and cheap looking. Also the fact the tundra doesn't have tow hooks on the front, I'm hoping they learned that lesson for the next gen tacoma.

I hope the front end looks something like this rendering of the next gen 4runner found on tfltruck.

 

That isn’t too bad, the removable roof like the original 4Runner is a nice touch…will never happen but cool on the artist for that detail.

 

Fake or not I like the T4R rendering!

 

I remember when the 3rd gen tacoma first came out the front end seemed hideous. It has grown on me alot although they have changed the grill through the years getting rid of alot of chrome.

Honestly I would be happy if the next gen tacoma had the same grill...maybe just change the headlights as I'm sure it would resemble the new tundra.

I also don't understand how like all truck manufacturers are putting large letters in the back like the new tundra and the new RAM, seems alittle too much.

 

I still think the 3rd Gen is ugly, but it has grown on me…just not as ugly as I first thought.


Yeah something in between the EV prototype and that 4Runner render wouldn’t be bad, the new Sequoia isn’t bad too me, but the Tundra is a bit much.


Huge letters on the tailgate aren’t new, if anything they are going back to how it used to be.

‘66 Ford.

 

Respectfully, no way. Toyota isn't spending multi-millions on an all new Tacoma, have it "ready to roll" than just sitting on it to see what Ford and GM is doing. Nor would they idle a plant for no reason.

They've already shown the EV concept (style indicators), the mules are out testing, all signs indicate they are on track to launch for a 2024 model as reported by @Carmaker1 and others with actual industry knowledge.

 

I am very, very tired of people out there not using easy-to-moderately advanced resources available to them, to stay on top of things in progress behind the scenes at MANY companies. If you don't think there are ways, trust me there are. For the past 27 MONTHS, I have shouted out that Toyota will be releasing this truck for 2024MY. I first mentioned 6 years ago, that the 4th generation Tacoma would arrive in under 10 years from the last redesign in September 2015. Yet, you still have folks expecting well over a 10 year run or a new truck this year.

I have gotten very annoyed and very tired at repeating this, because it's like an entire waste of my free time, if it isn't registering at this point or somehow easier NOT to trust over BS info from big names and lights. I don't do YouTube for automotive industry info, as I am too active to be doing what David Chao does. He doesn't work for an OEM right now, unlike me.

Before I joined this industry more than a decade ago, I figured out in terms of online discourse, who knew what they were talking about and who didn't. If a news entity makes a statement, without referencing it as originating from an inside source, they are plainly speculating. I do not engage in this kind of behavior and manufacture BS info as fact. This phenomenon of misplaced, 'tude having skepticism, 'cuz ya gotta show me the receipts", is something I've never had the time nor patience for. Particularly if it's geared toward dismissing the party putting valid info forward and instead trusting the airhead at the big name.

Anyone from any walk of life, can log into a computer. Not just supposed "normal folk", as if us people in the automotive industry are not normal too LOL. We're not celebrities or dignitaries. Within every group, there's always a subset who will be online and maybe sidestep an NDA of their own or a contact's, to pass along hidden info. You'd be surprised at some execs across industries, who've hidden behind an obscure username on occasion. Not just with AMAs on Reddit.

@DJinTN has done fine job to provide directly sourced information on 920B, in a much more elevated capacity than I have in fact. I jumped into this first, but having someone backup what I come across as a Toyota outsider, with limited ears, helps a great deal. They also echoed new information I had seen of December 2023 Job 1, changed from August 2023 sometime over the last year or so. Before that, I had said Q3 2023 since February 2020, after the effort first fell behind circa 2019 from MY2023. No one else commented on that in most cases years ago, because it was very difficult for them to verify independently in 2016-2020 and trust it to be valid. I've known for years, when this truck was coming. Everyone else mostly said "no comment", "too soon to discuss", or "2025-27".

The fact that the Tacoma wasn't included on a slide with 4Runner and Sequoia, was big sign it had been pushed back to 2024MY. There's another slide like that red & black one, which DID list it as a 2023 calendar year launch alongside the next Prius. That disappeared for some odd reason and never made the rounds, like the other slide.

Unlike @DJinTN, a good majority of my information is secondhand or pieced together from careful personal AND corporate research, being that I work for a competitor. A competitor? Yes, I do and I never hide that. As an enthusiast, I am highly objective despite being a working professional competitor. I don't play favorites too much in general, as I like variety.

Many annoying "skeptics" sometimes question why a "Ford guy" would have any interest in discussing Toyota future products, but of course they neglect that I also own many Toyotas globally, being that I have many residences across the globe. Particularly in Africa.

That's why I have such interest in some Toyotas, that can handle the rougher urban environment(s) and non-urban serviceability requirements, in some less developed municipalities. Urban Africa exists, but forget about seeing a big name dealership or service center outside of core business or political hubs. TNGA-F was a huge interest to me, once I learned about it in 2016. I didn't own a Toyota to my name in 2016, IIRC. Yet still had interest in some of them and also Lexus, since Infiniti became dead to me as a representative for Japanese luxury.

The business models of some companies in the industry, obviously do not always favor engineering vehicles for the worst or most challenging regions of the world. Instead investing resources in other areas. It's why VW, BMW, and MB still have sales. Any of my interest in Toyota is more so personal on average, than professional nowadays. Yet, I have seen (figuratively behind my back) in absentia, this be used against me in some places and as a means to discredit me on future vehicles, particularly regarding the 780B Tundra and 920B Tacoma. This never happened with the 300-Series Land Cruiser and 310-Series LX.

Then again, a sizeable chunk of the audience/demographic for the 780B and 920B incumbent generation (or predecessors), do not care to know about anything beyond their immediate surroundings and daily life, only to be arrogant enough to challenge the rest of us on our insight. It's a threat to their masculinity somehow, to be informed they do not know what they're talking about and just "listen" for once. I am very excellent at doing research in any capacity and reaching out to others across the globe, which helps me keep a pulse on the industry.

That being said, I thank of a lot of you who've had my back on the information front to a huge extent and should let you know, it was a matter of being overwhelmed that prevented me from posting these past few months. Not so much distaste for this forum or any shenanigans with some 'tude-having posters.

I am very angry about the greater discourse and misinformation going around elsewhere on the remaining set of future TNGA-F products, from namely TFL, Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Motor1, Carscoops, YouTube channels, Instawhores (they are annoying!), Facebook, and many purveyors of car/truck news to name. They are using their voices and reach to mislead people to develop false expectations, when they can exercise due diligence.

It's misleading hopeful people, stuck on two vehicles (4Runner and Tacoma), that have not seen significant change for 20 years now. We are not talking 2-4 years on a recently redesigned vehicle. How different is the current N280 4Runner (aka 610L) from the N210 2GR, launched in January 2003 (UZ V8 in October 2002)? Essentially a reskin and updated architecture in 120-Series vs 150-Series basis.

How about the Tacoma, which downsized to a 3.5L V6 on September 11, 2015 from the original 2nd generation launched on October 18, 2004 as a 2005 model and can be hard to identify from 2006 model sometimes from afar? The Tacoma is well differentiated from 4Runner compared to 30 years ago, but they are still very similar in the Tacoma essentially being a C-Channel version of the boxed 150-Series basis, used by the N280.

I have wanted those owners to know as my personal goal, even before I bought my own Tacoma, that "you don't have to wait in suspense", by providing a concrete time window. I used to comment primarily on future German automobiles, but realized quickly they are well covered and moved on. Japanese, keep it so vague and secretive, someone has to help bridge the gap. Whether staff incognito or someone adjacent to them (like me).

I have commented how Toyota is in a rush to replace the Tacoma at least (as Gen 3 was a reworked Gen 2) and can only make do with the fixed lead times required, to ensure it comes out of the gate well engineered and vetted for production. As of the recent present (2019-22) due to hiccups, not too fast (2023MY) and not too slow (2025+). Yet, I have seen some posts here, implying that I am naive to the fact, "Toyota doesn't rush things" and that "you're wrong".

I wasn't born yesterday and in being well versed in all of this, know that teasing of mules so early (proving grounds much?), the BEV truck presentation, executives dropping hints, says more than enough about what's going on. They know about folks griping (despite being #1) and are letting the cat out of the bag in an indirect fashion. However, can only work with a set timetable to bring their all-new midsize truck to market. They are not gonna take 11 years again this time, but don't believe they are going to bring it to market 1 year earlier than planned either.

Similarly with the new Ranger, won't be available for 1 year, but we have let folks know what to expect already. On the other hand, people are so quick to trust TFL or other clickbait artists, with unrealistic speculation, which rings terribly obtuse, such as the "2023 Tacoma" BS I keep hearing like nails on a chalkboard or seeing in text, gauging my eyes out. Clickbait artists previously did it with the U725 Bronco, in which I let slip a great deal of information on it, before anyone in the media could hope to have a solid lock on anything in 2018-2019 and politely wrapped on it in mid-2020, once it was revealed and felt my job was done.

I don't how many times I can repeat it anywhere and the same for some posters here, doing a fine job of keeping everyone else informed. A BIG THANK YOU to you all, as it's about all of us being on the same page and the majority personally budgeting accordingly for the future. This shouldn't be that big a deal, but when it involves spending or financing tens of thousands of dollars for many, yes it does somewhat matter. This vehicle is due around 21 months from now, versus the 4-6 months being prophesized by stupid entities, often in defiance of my corrections.

Anyone trying to be helpful, would get tired "real" quick if this keeps being lost on other people and becomes rinse & repeat. I understand that folks lead busy lives, but if you are that interested in the first place to be discussing a product not yet revealed or released, then try to be informed or not make declarations that prove to be inaccurate. Use the search function and see what keeps coming up frequently. It's what I used to do, when I was curious as teen about the future. I learned a lot from that too, because it became handy in internships and shocked many folks, who decided to give me leg up in my career early on.

I more importantly, expect so much better from supposed journalists and "reporters", alongside the annoying vloggers who keep helping to create bad rumor mills and by association, affecting discourse among curious existing owners or truck consumers. People give Japanese magazines crap, but they are better than the rest on the news front and are mostly guilty of trusting misleading sources in the Japanese industry, than manufacturing BS info from their own ignorance.

If Toyota sold the Tacoma in Japan and had been doing so the past 3 generations, you wouldn't be so in the dark about things going on. The Tacoma is so divorced from American and Western media, by the fact it's a Japanese brand vehicle, primarily manufactured for the US market and offered in Canada due to cultural/geographical similarities. Mexico, because of manufacturing centers and similar enough buying habits to the US, but not necessarily parity in disposable income like Canada. Japanese media are not going to cover future models not available in Japan, so that unique path to early insight doesn't exist. US divisions typically will be so tight-lipped understandably, you are entirely dependent on local staff to learn secret info. Any US magazine or website commenting on these vehicles authoritatively without an inside line, via a dealer owner/GM, corporate subsidiary, premier tier supplier, or direct quote from key personnel, needs to "f**k" off.

I wish so many YouTubers/vloggers would just zip it and stay out of these things, versus use the "unknown" to grab easy views and confuse people in the process. Engrish spambot sites/videos even make me itch with hives, i.e. with 20234Runnercarmodel4runner.com and New2023Tacomatruckdesign.com sites, which occasionally make it to some Toyota forums. The dubious URLs or headlines (for YouTube videos) should be enough to put two and two together. Wikipedia isn't all that reliable either for that matter, being that they banned me for demanding higher quality control and being cutthroat about it, in the face of stupid computer nerd politics giving leeway to it.

 

So we are most likely looking at a December 2023 launch for the next gen Tacoma?

 

Sounds about right

 

I forgot to add this to my post. Ready to roll, as in Toyota has the drive train and platform finalized, most likely the final sheet metal and interior lay out. I don't think Toyota wants to show anything until the next gens from the other two are released. Everyone already knows what Nissan has in store for 23-25. Toyota probably knows what Ford and GM will do with their midsize trucks.

That Camo Tacoma, looks like it has the same wheel base as the new Sequioa. Which I haven't seen, or can find the specs of the wheelbase.


All I can do is speculate, as most of the Toyota news I receive comes from here.

 

No, but you'll see it well before that. Production begins, but you won't be able to buy one until 2024.

 

I'd say reveal around spring/summer maybe earlier and ordering around december 2023?

 

I think they've already played their hand since last fall and any secrecy has nothing to do with their competition, who are too far along to benchmark in some areas or can't copy what Toyota lets slip.

Toyota is just testing what they designed at this point, validating it in stages, and will probably complete 920B engineering sign-off in 1 year, to begin pilot builds ahead of December 2023. Toyota I will say, likely isn't worried about the rest, because our P703N Ranger is already a known entity via some aspects and our global P703 now in production. So are GM's 31xx-2 duo, to a lesser degree. With 19 months left, a lot has been locked in and not enough time to benchmark beyond field or lab testing. I remember Toyota mentioning that the 2018 Camry required a much earlier design approval and other commitments, to accommodate it debuting the first iteration of TNGA-K. Tacoma will be debuting the second iteration of TNGA-F, midsize application.

The Tacoma and 4Runner are nicknamed to be on "F2" of TNGA-F, while Tundra, Sequoia, and LC300 are on "F1". The mules have appeared so early, because while Toyota enjoys the sales of the current truck, they are ready to turn the chapter as soon as marketing sees the full okay for pilot builds. It was pulling teeth to get a redesign for Gen 3, but they aren't waiting for anyone but themselves I imagine this time. They could've moved faster on TNGA-F a decade ago, but took their merry time and are probably struggling to deal with so much at once down in Ann Arbor and Plano.

High gas prices once again, even with HEVs to offset the negative effects. Luckily some buyers aren't put off by it and there's still a growing amount of people willing to spend more on a vehicle like the BOF offerings, than before. The New Tundra should've been a 2018 model and the Sequoia a 2019, when the economy was more viable. 4Runner should've been redesigned for 2020. Toyota in Japan had sour grapes in the 2010s and pushed back on renewing the frame-based utilities sooner, to focus on FWD TNGA-C (Corolla), TNGA-K (mid-large), and TNGA-B (Yaris) first, while acknowledging Akio's RWD pet projects in TNGA-L (LS/LC) and TNGA-N (Crown). If they had their way, some nameplates would also be dead...oh wait.

 

This apparently topped over 103,000 words, so had to split it into two posts!

I'm guessing this was a typo or mix-up, because we all have to deduce this on our own in most cases and have no stable media sources to rely on. As I've mentioned and also DJinTN did before me, 2024 model in early 2024, if the known production date actually even holds firm. It might hold firm with no big delays.

I first confirmed in the fall of 2019 very, very secretly, that the Tundra was indeed topped by a TTV6 hybrid and that instead of MY 2021, it would then be a 2022MY due exactly in December 2021. This was pre-pandemic and surprisingly, Toyota managed to hold to this despite the pandemic and the messes which ensued. The 2022 Tundra petrol versions all launched in December 2021, with the hybrid coming in April 2022 (that was the only delay...).

Tacoma at that point in time, was August 2023 Job 1 and late September 2023 launch, having fell behind 1 year in spring/summer 2019 from MY2023. I initially struggled from late 2019 to February 2020, on mapping out, 4Runner vs Tacoma as a priority to Toyota USA, to which would be launching first.

A Toyota spokesman had once mentioned in March 2019, the next Tacoma was a 2023 model, but that clearly slipped within just a few months because of TNGA-F woes and I had no clue on that for much of 2019.

Knew only about 4Runner, that it would be evolutionary and follow after the fullsizers completed launch. No solid timetable, except for the Sequoia maybe running in parallel to it or several months ahead. Upon getting a new lead on future 4Runner plans in January 2020, it became obvious new 4Runner was coming before 4G Tacoma. More detailed info came in February 2020 and then the 2 corporate slides right after, solidifying the whole TNGA-F timeline. Then came COVID-19, where Tundra managed to pull through on schedule, while 4Runner and Tacoma both suffered possibly. Sequoia only marginally, as it remained a 2023 model.

For current trajectory, I first saw an industry source highlight "December 2023" on 920B for me almost 1 year ago and I ignored it, based on previous knowledge of Q3 2023 Job 1 and dealer launch. @DJinTN also making mention of this date sometime last year, told me it wasn't a fluke what I had seen and this was likely the real, updated Job 1 date I had come across for 920B.

So after the Sequoia, the 2023 model year is complete for TNGA-F. I worry they are going to stagger the 2024 model year and push back one of them into 2025. Hopefully not.

It would be nice I'm sure, but 2023 isn't realistic and has been refuted so many times, the past 27 months by me and a lot of people here. 2024 as a 2025, is always possible unfortunately. We hope not, but a few months delay can make that a reality indeed, since January/Feb 2024 launch was on deck most recently.

The 2022 Tundra amazingly managed to stick to the same schedule, established in the middle of 2019. All before and maintained during a global pandemic, associated shutdown, and loss of economic stability and related resources. However, with problems being seen on early units, one does wonder if corners were cut to achieve that at all costs?

When at my job, we/they set out to redesign the F-150 for 2021, the teams on P702 began their work in 2015-16, before I joined T3 team. They had final design by November 2017 and major engineering getting underway. The idea was for production to start in mid-2020, but thanks to the pandemic, everything ultimately got delayed back to the usual, "push it out before the year ends!" Instead of 31-32 months to market from final design approval, we ended up with 37 months per the December 2020 launch for MY 2021. Just like the old days, when today's new design, was finished almost a half decade earlier. Made it messy for product obsolescence...

I keep warning everyone, that this does not apply to all OEMs. Toyota typically only goes to Japanese media in most cases. They did not include American media with the pre-launch of the new Tundra, until the 11th hour. Unless Toyota manufactures and sells the Tacoma in domestic Japan, such information will be held VERY close to vest. Car and Driver is NOT a reliable source on Toyota, because they do NOT get any information from Toyota in this area. I have studied Toyota's pattern for the past decade and have noted how much they leave out, "foreign" media. Toyota USA in Plano takes their marching orders from Toyota City, Aichi and not anywhere else.

As an active member of this industry with varied experience, I can tell you they often don't know what they're talking about and should stick to reporting the facts and keep their own opinionated hearsay and empty guesses to themselves. For those of us that care in the industry, we have to play cleanup of their conjecture-laden messes or filling in the blanks on nonexistent reporting, while our industry colleagues couldn't be bothered for very good reasons and mind their business.

Thank you for this post.

I wouldn't use the A90/J29 Supra, as a measure of what happens to the Tacoma. It's all about torque rating in some respects and compatibility with powertrains. A torquier engine that the RC62F manual can't handle, means that Toyota has to develop a new manual transmission application. Does Toyota want to spend that money at a less than 5% take rate, versus 15-20% on the 2nd generation? They created that issue for themselves with the V6 4x4 TRD-only aspect and for the other 5SP manual in 2.7 up until 2017.

They only want rich eccentric enthusiasts (like me lol) or other stick-loving Tacoma buyers stretching their dollars into the $40-50ks, instead of getting a base Access Cab 2WD with 5MT or 6MT and saving good money. It's no surprise the take-rate dwindled overnight. No regular cab manuals in 2WD/4WD, only TRD 4x4 Access Cab Sport in USA, and limited selection of TRD V6 4x4s DCSBs offered with manual.

I'd be shocked if Akio Toyoda gave a damn about a non-sporty car and made & offered a new manual for 2024. RC62F may not want to play with a new engine, putting out over 320 pound-feet of torque. Any changes warrant a new transmission designation, as even this 6-speed was new compared to the RA60 unit in 2nd generation Tacomas.

Nonsense. That's a very naive statement to make, considering you are missing the context of why they are not reliable in this respect. At best they can do is, regurgitate information from other English-speaking media sources. Not even Toyota insiders, because they haven't such people as reliable contacts. Unlike me, DJinTN, and a few others, we rely off of industry insight. If someone here is skeptical of C&D, there's a reason, due to an existing pattern. Key thing here is context.

C&D even being in our backyard, has twice failed with our 2015 Mustang and 2021 Bronco, by showing off mediocre renderings as dead accurate so close to reveal. In the case of Mustang, they had been shown the vehicle privately in October 2013 and came up with this lazy and cartoonish rendering. Many naive idiots believed them and attacked other people who had a lock on it even longer. Remember, C&D were shown the car! SMFH

There was one guy below (chazcron), who I heard back then that got it all down to details and yet folks similar to you, gave C&D undeserved credibility. They did a mediocre job, despite having been shown the car in person and came up with this BS instead. Even Jalopnik, did the C7 Corvette some justice in 2011. C&D is a shame and yet many of you don't know better, that they're good for maybe car reviews and not much else.




2013 Rendering from MONTHS before the 2015 Mustang was revealed!





He NEVER saw the car in full, just some colorless CADs I hear in 2013 and came out well ahead. Yet C&D who saw it up close, came up with that nonsense above. This dude even did the same in 2003, with the retro 2005 model. Where was C&D in 2003 as well? Other than reposting and reprinting the same photos of the 2003 concept car Ford then made as a teaser? They had nothing, but some spy shots. Even then C&D were 10x better than today. Look at how bad their Bronco guess was, on the heels of being revealed. I nearly vomited, as it was so disgusting to look at and so nastily drawn, it seemed so triggering for me. I had seen the Bronco already per my work, that I couldn't believe any professional entity came up with this nonsense after already seeing the Bronco R. I expected much better from Hearst.





There was something they also reported on recently, I think regarding a Ford or Toyota product and I was incensed, because of the many fallacies they were putting forward. I unfortunately keep getting new electronics so often and changing passwords, so I lose track and never logged in to refute some BS they wrote and had commenters endorse as wrongful fact.

I respect them somewhat more than the rest, but nowadays can see right through their glaring weaknesses. People like you need to do better with what you vet as accurate, before just trusting anything. Let alone criticizing anyone else for being rightfully skeptical. A source who does not state themselves to be an employee, does not cite an NDA as any hindrance regarding depth of info, nor is at least the secondhand source, of a credible firsthand source, is not to be trusted typically. Particularly in journalism.

They CANNOT be reporting on a future product or relative unknown like the 2024 Tacoma, by a mostly foreign in origin corporation, without having deeper insight from someone else within that organization. Any good journalist would highlight this, to center credibility of the report. One who doesn't highlight "how" they know, is totally out of the loop and uninformed, spreading around conjecture to be fact. Or just spewing simple opinion, but again providing misleading info to dupe people.

I have said this, because I expect people to trust my credibility and don't want to be hypocritical. I have observed that my research skills and ability to collect intelligence on other entities, is very thorough. Journalists today in the automotive industry fail at this terribly nowadays or are simply big name personalities, too bothered to invest in that effort and are more focused on the more superficial aspect of reporting. Wining and dining, driving fast cars or super-4x4s all day. Quirks and BS.

The hard-hitting research skills are not there at all, so please be careful to trust them on the future of a #1 selling product, sold and marketed by a mostly foreign company. They can barely report on our P703N reliably, from a Detroit homebase entity, let alone you trust them on the next Tacoma LOL. Ann Arbor leaves that to Plano to handle and they already have sour grapes over US automotive media being overly critical towards Toyota, so they're not keeping them in the loop, until launch time nears.

It has already been established MY 2024, but MY 2025 can happen with a 4-6 month delay of any sort. Then again, remember advanced mules have been testing for some 8 months now. 3-4 years of advanced mules in public, just doesn't happen in any case with Toyota. That's a colossal waste of resources to ANY manufacturer, for reasons I don't feel like explaining due to great length.

This myth or wish of 2026, is such old conjecture, I don't know where it keeps coming from. It's not entirely far-fetched, but to run that late is prohibitive now. I think it's easy for many to just guess anything on the generally unknown, but forget some of us do have an idea what's happening. If Toyota have seen the light on alleged "poor market reception" and want to save face by delaying, then I can't argue with that either. Just funny business, as ROI has to come into play eventually or heads will roll.

They've been at this for years regarding 920B and they need to commit to launch, sooner than later. The upper middle class and select segments of upper class, are the primary buyers of new Tacomas at the moment. Toyota will try to make do with those demographics (thanks to reduced volume), until the market improves for the core middle class to fully rejoin. Continually pushing back a program more than 5 times, since it was first earmarked for MY 2021, just seems like bad product planning and seriously gross lack of foresight.

Thank you for helping point this out, amongst a great collective keeping us all on board.

Yes, true for Tacoma since mid-2019 I'll say, as I learned about some TNGA-F delays in the fall of 2019. I had learned a lot about the 2022 Tundra back then and 4Runner future being "true to form", "big improvements on the inside". Months earlier, a Toyota spokesman confirmed what I had said in my first TW post, that it was indeed a 2023 model--the next Tacoma that is--in March 2019.

After that unfortunately, things fell behind over 1 year. Land Cruiser 300 had this happen in 2018, whereas with the Tundra it happened in 2019 and all TNGA-F vehicles had to be delayed, to space out each redesign evenly. 2022 4Runner became 2023 4Runner I imagine, as did 2021 Tundra became 2022 Tundra, and 2022 Sequoia became 2023 Sequoia. 2023 Tacoma became 2024 Tacoma.

At this time, designers were working on all of the midsize models and had already finalized Sequoia. This being information, I got from a CALTY contact who I've worked with before. In late 2019 and January 2020, we exchanged with each other some ongoing stuff. I mentioned some stuff about Bronco and he about the 4Runner. He mentioned he had been working on a clay model at CALTY, that was midsized and rather butch-looking.

I asked if it was the 4Runner, which he refused to confirm for me. He simply said this was for a program, to be marketed and sold stateside for certain and not a foreign market model. Smiled to me and said, "I think you already know what this is for..." I put two and two together and realized, that Toyota was redesigning it for 2023. Surely enough, more enough made its way to me that winter and by mid-February 2020 I had a flood of info on Toyota and Lexus, going to Motor1 with it instead for a news leak.

At the same time it went to print/submission, the first conference timeline slide also came out, and the second one never made public. The second one listed vehicles for the 2023 calendar year, which listed Prius, Camry, Tacoma, and Grand Highlander. No Crown yet, which leads me to believe that the Avalon got canned during the pandemic.

Anyway, like the Avalon being cancelled, sometime during the pandemic, Toyota had an about face and decided to change up some things for the next generation mid-size SUVs. They once again, got all delayed to late 2023/early 2024 launch. Weirdly enough, the final designs had already been done and now are at risk of being some 4 years old, at launch from when they would've gotten final executive approval by Toyota USA chiefs and Toyoda-san+Japanese board. The Lexus GX 550 was revealed on February 10, 2021, to staff in Las Vegas. This vehicle was already designed months before that, yet won't be in dealers until 2024!

On 4Runner, I learned about this in a rather public forum, when I got corrected on the launch timeline in June 2021, by a new contact who works for Toyota on the 2024 4Runner. He said explicitly, early 2024. You can see it for yourself, as my comment was even cross-posted here by another user (had egg on my face) and pretty much that ended the possibility, we'd be getting a new 4Runner for 2023. I was so sure, but proven to be wrong as I hadn't stayed up-to-date with Toyota on that since February 2020.

I checked for myself to vet his info, only to see the January 2024 Job 1 and March 2024 release for at least one plant. I have no info on Tahara SOP, which could easily predate the Tacoma in Q3 or Q4 of 2024. As for March 2024, that interestingly enough is the 40th anniversary of the 4Runner nameplate...

That rendering was created before Toyota revealed this "concept" and as someone said, heavily borrowed from Automotive Press, who did his best to make a reasonable guess on the "2023 Tacoma" (that he called it).