Nearly a decade after Toyota's last new Tacoma was mechanically identical to its 2004 predecessor, we finally havea brand new truck.Except for the price, there's not much to see now.
If you only remember a few details about the 2024 Tacoma, make it these eight.
Build like a Prius and hybridize
I'm newtundraand newSequoia, the Tacoma is now available as a hybrid—a first for the pickup. It runs on the same TNGA-F architecture as these big trucks, both of which were brand new last year. Toyota has been busy.
The Tacoma Hybrid's system will combine a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 48-horsepower electric motor mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The electric motor will draw power from a tiny 1.87 kWh Ni-MH battery. The system produces a total of 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. That's nearly double the torque of the current V-6, and the new truck won't offer it.
The hybrid powertrain is optional on TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport and Limited trims, but standard on TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims.
The other engine offered is the same 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder without a battery. The SR, the lowest-trimmed Tacoma, makes 228 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Choose any model above the SR—SR5, TRD Prerunner, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport—and output jumps to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque.
Apropos Trailhunters...
The 2024 Tacoma brings a new level of equipment:Hunter, Toyota wants you to think of it as the perfect super landing pad. The automaker has teamed up with legendary Australian gear ARB to develop a special lift kit for this truck. Its appearance is on the rear axle - a set of 2.5-inch forged monotube shock absorbers with external reservoirs.
ARB also helped create a special steel rear bumper with stronger recovery points and a new truck that supports different undercarriages, such as a roof tent.
The Tacoma Trailhunter is equipped with 33-inch Goodyear tires, which, along with this lift kit, give the truck an extra 2 inches of front clearance and 1.5 inches of rear clearance. Trailhunter also offers Tacoma's first electronic sway bar disconnect. (Toyota didn't say where else it would be offered, but we could see the TRD Pro and TRD Off-Road getting the tech, too.) The Trailhunter also has a special vent intake that winds up the passenger-side A-pillar, which conceptually looks like trimford mustang everglades.
A set of undercarriage fairings and wraparound exhaust pipes ensure the undercarriage remains secure over rough terrain. There's even a built-in air compressor to pump up the tires at trailheads and then pump them back up for highway driving.
I thought the TRD Pro was the ultimate off-road bike?
it is. Yes. Well, such a one. Toyota has shifted the focus of the TRD Pro slightly, tailoring the upgrades for high-speed desert trekking rather than rock crawling. Come on: Tacoma is comingFords Ranger RaptorandChevrolet Colorado ZR2.
The 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro features custom upper control arms and 2.5-inch internal bypass Fox shocks. These can be manually adjusted to three different stiffnesses, depending on the type of terrain you ride. As part of the redesigned multi-link rear suspension, there are also new Fox internal floating stop pistons. Not sure what that means? Bumpy rides at high speed become smoother.
Those... shock absorbers on the seats?
It is. You're looking at Toyota's IsoDynamic Performance Seat, the only one in the mid-size truck segment. Two air-oil shocks control both vertical and lateral seat movement to dampen the wild body movement you'll experience hitting dunes, rocks, goats and whatever else the desert throws at you that day.
The goal of this patent-pending system is to reduce stress on the head, neck and spine by minimizing the movement that muscles and joints try to compensate for. The driver can use a handle on the backrest to adjust the damping effect according to body weight and preference.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how bad these look?
Yes Yes. But wait... don't these trucks use springs?
Yes! So no! It's not always! Is it confusing? Here's the long and short of it: If your new Tacoma is an SR, SR5 with XtraCab, or the new TRD PreRunner, you still have a leaf bag in the back. Everything else — TRD Pro, Trailhunter, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, Limited and SR5 DoubleCab — comes with a multi-link rear suspension that uses coil springs.
A side effect of this shift: the Tacoma's maximum towing capacity hasn't increased at all. In fact, it's down to 6,500 pounds, 300 pounds less than a properly equipped third-generation truck.Ford's new Ranger, instead it can tow up to 7,500 pounds.
However, the new Ranger does not have an instruction manual!
three. pedal. Contrary to today's trend, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will offer a manual transmission. In any non-hybrid Tacoma, you can choose your gear, though output from the 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will drop slightly to 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, down 8 hp and 7 lb-ft from the automatic. ft - equipped model.
This setup means that unlike previous Tacomas,The TRD Pro is not supplied with a manualThe Trailhunter won't have a six-speed either. oh no problem. Enjoy its presence anyway.
On the subject of old technology: The new Tacoma has gone from drum brakes to rear disc brakes. Now they appear in all four corners.
Of course, there are many choices to be made.
In 2024, the options will improve. Or at least more complicated. different from newChevrolet Coloradoandford ranger, available in twin sizes, the Tacoma will be available in two bed lengths – 5-foot and 6-foot options.
You can choose a bed with a cab: the standard 4-door crew cab (which Toyota calls the DoubleCab) or the new 2-door single cab. The latter has an extra smart storage space behind the front seats, which gives it the XtraCab name. The US will be the only market to get the 2-door 6-foot Tacoma.
While other manufacturers limit options and minimize manufacturing complexity, Toyota takes the opposite approach. From 2024, Toyota andNissanCreates just two mid-size pickups available in a variety of cab configurations.
Is there something missing in the new Tacoma?
One piece of technology is conspicuously missing: the locking front differential. Both Chevrolet and Ford offer a front storage locker for the most extreme versions of their midsize trucks,ZR2andRanger Raptor.
Since many trim levels come with an electronic rear differential lock, you'd think the technology would fit into the front of the truck with little effort. Sure enough, the outgoing third generation Tacoma also does not have a front locker, and the part is difficult to install on vehicles with independent front suspension (the Jeep).Gladiator RubiconThere's an electronic cabinet up front, but this thing also has solid axles front and rear). If Chevrolet and Ford have figured this out, it seems Toyota should do the same.
The new Tacoma's biggest competitor, however, may be itself. thisoutgoing tacomajust levelingefficient,Always and Forever. Will the truck of 2024, with all its added technical complexity, be as bulletproof? We are skeptical. this is possible. But these connections only come from one thing: real customers traveling millions of miles.
On paper, the new Tacoma has the chops, capabilities and charisma of a truck ready to fend off a new wave of competitors. We can't wait to drive it.
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