(May 20, 2023) Toyota introduced an all-new mid-sized Tacoma pickup this week. With the redesigned truck arriving at U.S. dealerships later this year, the Japanese brand looks to brush back newly improved offerings from Detroit 3 rivals and reinforce its vice-like grip on the important segment.

The Tacoma's segment share in the U.S. peaked in 2013 at a massive 65.1 percent as other automakers exited midsize pickups in favor of more profitable full-size pickups. However, their return a few years later began to bite into Toyota's dominance. By 2018, the Tacoma's share of the segment had fallen to 46.9 percent, and in 2022, it dropped to 39 percent, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center.

"Our dealers have been very involved" in the development of the redesigned Tacoma, said Dave Christ, who heads the Toyota Division of Toyota Motor North America. "We included them in the process of developing and engineering the truck, and we think we hit on all of the asks for the segment."

Redesigned from the ground up and built upon the TNGA-F global truck platform shared with Tundra and Sequoia, the all-new Tacoma was designed and engineered for the U.S. market. For its fourth generation, Tacoma utilizes a new high-strength boxed, steel-ladder frame; adds numerous features that off-road enthusiasts can play with; features an available fully redesigned multi-link coil rear suspension that improves ride and handling; and offers two powerful and efficient turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains including a top-of-the-line i-FORCE MAX hybrid producing 326 horsepower and a massive 465 lb.-ft. of torque.

Tacoma will also introduce the world to Toyota’s all-new Trailhunter grade, first revealed at the 2022 SEMA show as a Trailhunter concept, that’s a purpose-built overlanding rig available right off the dealer lot.

“With even more off-road capability and the quality, durability, and reliability that our customers expect along with a host of options for every owner, we’re confident that Tacoma will remain the top choice for mid-size pickup buyers when it arrives later this year,” said Christ.

The all-new 2024 Tacoma will go on sale later this year with i-FORCE MAX models arriving in early 2024. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale dates.

Toyota’s North American-based CALTY Design Center located in Newport Beach, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan led the design efforts for the new Tacoma, as they did with the Tundra and Sequoia that launched last year.

“Our primary design goal for the all-new Tacoma was to be authentic to the way our customers use their trucks for rugged outdoor fun,” says Kevin Hunter, president, CALTY Design Research. “We looked at our truck DNA and the Toyota Baja race trucks for inspiration to capture the extreme spirit of off road adventure. High lift, big tires, slim body, and a powerful athletic stance define the iconic Tacoma look, referred to as ‘Tacoma-ness’.”

The CALTY team of designers focused on the theme of a “Badass Adventure Machine” when defining the essence of the new Tacoma. This refers to Tacoma’s engineered toughness along with its athletic attitude. The design team strives for Toyota trucks to have a family resemblance, each with unique personalities defined by each one’s purpose.



For Tacoma, its narrow body and wide upper grille are a nod to the original HiLux, with features like the aggressive skid plates expressing the extreme ruggedness of Tacoma. Other signature design elements include the high-mount headlamps, side functional air intakes, hexagonal grille motif, as well as integrated roof and tailgate spoilers.

Tacoma will offer two powertrains using a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. For entry-level SR grades, this engine produces 228 horsepower and 243 lb.-ft. of torque. For all other grades, output increases to 278 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. of torque when paired with the new eight-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with intelligence (ECT-i).

Enthusiasts rejoice: a six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT2) with automatic rev matching and anti-stall technology is available. Manual transmission models produce 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque.

New to the mid-size, body-on-frame pickup segment is Tacoma’s i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, the most powerful powertrain ever offered on Tacoma. Available on TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and standard on the TRD Pro and Trailhunter halo models, i-FORCE MAX pairs the 2.4-liter engine with a 48-hp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed transmission feeding off a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack that creates a total system output of 326 horsepower and a whopping 465 lb.-ft. of torque, nearly doubling the torque output of the current-gen truck with the V-6 engine.

When equipped with i-FORCE MAX, Tacoma can ascend an 8-percent interstate grade without the need to downshift, making long road trips more pleasant than ever in a Tacoma. Fuel economy estimates for all powertrains will be announced closer to their on-sale dates.