Toyota introduced a new version of its mid-size Tacoma pickup vehicle on Thursday. This new generation of the Tacoma pickup truck, which was unveiled on Thursday, improves pretty much practically everything about the lineup—and even includes a hybrid—while continuing to be packaged in a way that everyone will immediately recognise as a Tacoma.

The 2017 Toyota Tacoma is not going to be able to please everyone. The Toyota Tacoma is no longer suitable for people who prefer not to use modern technology because it now comes in more configurations than ever before, particularly for off-roading. The new variants won’t be around any longer than the models they’re replacing, but you also shouldn’t expect them to revert to their roots as compact trucks. In addition, Toyota has not yet optimally optimised the Tacoma hybrid to achieve industry-leading mpg ratings. However, it could be the answer that a few of this badge’s devoted fans have been hoping for in a forthcoming pickup truck.

What has not been defined yet is the Toyota Tacoma EV that was teased in strategy form in 2021 but has not yet been confirmed as output-bound despite the fact that a single study found that millennials really want to make it so.

One could argue that there is a need for that product in the present. According to the most recent data provided by CarMax, the Toyota Tacoma is one of the models that is traded in for a Tesla more frequently than any other.

Activity Package for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD

Activity Package for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD

Activity Package for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD

Toyota Tacoma hybrid mpg

Don’t put any money on the Toyota Tacoma hybrid outperforming the Ford Maverick Hybrid, which has an EPA-estimated city fuel efficiency rating of 40 miles per gallon. Toyota appears to be positioning it as the workhorse of the lineup by designating it with the i-Pressure Max label, just like they did with the larger Tundra hybrid. Its focus could be more on towing and hauling, as well as replacing the much larger V-6 engine that is being phased out, rather than on establishing a state that achieves a trend-setting level of fuel economy. Toyota asserts that the Tacoma hybrid is able to scale an 8% grade on the motorway without the need to have to downshift, and the company highlights the torque of the system when driving in concentrated off-road variants.

The Tacoma hybrid will have a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine paired with a 48-horsepower motor that is built into the 8-speed automatic gearbox. The motor will effectively be at the entrance shaft of the gearbox, but it will make it feasible to clutch out the engine. A nickel-metal hydride battery pack with a capacity of 1.87 kilowatt hours can store the excess energy that is lost during braking and idling, which can then be used to augment the power of the engine during acceleration and possibly provide an electric-only mode at low speeds. It results in a combined output of 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful option available for the Toyota Tacoma.

Toyota has not disclosed the fuel economy numbers for the Tacoma lineup as of yet, and the company states that estimations for all of the different variations would be disclosed closer to the dates on which they go on sale. For the sake of comparison, the Toyota Tundra hybrid achieves up to 20 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined, despite the fact that this larger truck instead has a 3.4-liter V-6 engine, which is likely to be more thirsty.

TRD Professional Package for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma

Variations on the Tacoma divert attention away from the highway.

The new Toyota Tacoma can be purchased as a two-door XtraCab model with a six-foot bed, as a four-door prolonged taxi model with either a five-foot or six-foot bed, and either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. All of these configurations are available. As with the most recent model, the 2024 Tacoma will continue to be offered in a wide variety of configurations to accommodate uses ranging from standard work vans to specialised off-road machines. These configurations will include the SR, the SR5, the TRD PreRunner, the TRD Sport, the TRD Off Street, the Constrained, the TRD Professional, and a brand new Trailhunter edition.

Connectivity options such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included into each design, and a base-level touchscreen interface of 8 inches is standard. Standard equipment on even the base model includes a power moonroof, a head-up display, a large touchscreen measuring 14 inches, JBL audio, and an updated adaptive variable suspension. When smartphone-based Electronic Key and credit card-like Clever Card devices become available, a Clever Vital programme is automatically incorporated on all grade levels and is referred to as Clever Card. Additionally, a portable JBL Bluetooth speaker is available to purchase as a matched item in conjunction with the JBL audio upgrade.

The Toyota Tacoma comes standard with the most recent iteration of Toyota’s Basic Safety Sense suite, which features automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, highway-signal recognition, an enhanced adaptive cruise management system, and a lot of other cutting-edge safety features.