Summary
- The new 2024 Toyota Tacoma retains its iconic design while receiving updates to modernize its appearance, making it instantly recognizable as a Tacoma.
- Toyota has made significant changes to the undercarriage and drivetrain of the new Tacoma, including a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with hybrid options and improved suspension, resulting in better performance and off-road capabilities.
The Toyota Tacoma is the best-selling mid-sized truck in America. This is no easy achievement, especially if you consider that the American market values domestic products more. The Tacoma didn't become the best-selling truck by accident. It offers a lot of attributes that American truck buyers look for. It hits the lifestyle aspect perfectly thanks to its cool design, but it is also a truck that you can depend on.
So far, all Tacomas had very simple drivetrains that were incredibly reliable. Furthermore, buyers have the choice of more off-road-oriented trim levels like the TRD Pro. All this combined made for a truck the American market loved. But will the new 2024 model continue the legacy?
2024 TRD Tacoma Brief Overview
- Built on the new TNGA-F platform, promising more efficiency and capabilities.
- The luxury Limited trim offers enhanced features
- The updated drivetrain offers up to 326 horsepower and is available in manual and automatic transmissions.
- Improved suspension for better ride quality and off-road abilities
- Enhanced safety features with the standard Safety Sense 3.0.
- The new Trailhunter trim level focuses on overlanding with extensive customization options.
The New Tacoma Is Still A Tacoma
Firstly, let’s start with the obvious – the design. At first glance, there is no mistaking the new Tacoma for anything else. It has undoubtedly been updated, but the look of the old vehicle is still embedded in the new one. The front end is more aggressive while the rear end now looks far more modern than the older outdated design.
The new Tacoma sits on the same platform the new 4Runner is expected to utilize but also the all-new Land Cruiser that is coming back to the U.S. This is Toyota’s TNGA-F platform and should underpin nearly every new body-on-frame Toyota that is going to be released.
The Tacoma Offers A Luxury Trim
Just like the 4Runner and the old Tacoma, the new model will be offered in a limited trim. This trim gets full-time 4WD with a Torsen centre differential that can lock up to split power between the front and rear axles making for a true four-wheel-drive system. Since this is a luxury offering, it foregoes off-road features like skid plates and multi-terrain select.
However, it does have variable adaptive suspension which allows drivers to have stiffer or softer suspension depending on the conditions. Rear seating space in the Limited and any other trim is a bit limited for adults as it lacks the headroom and legroom to be deemed comfortable. That being said, two USB-C and an AC power outlet are available.
Upfront, however, things change. The interior of the new Tacoma is modern and it looks fantastic. The infotainment system has been updated with a 14-inch display, but aside from that, the general design just works. It has a rugged and upright look with modern touches which makes it work perfectly in this all-new truck. Everything is in good reach and it all makes sense. Best of all, it is filled with normal buttons and dials meaning that Toyota didn't burry all the controls inside the big 14-inch screen.
The Undercarriage And Drivetrain Have Received Drastic Changes
Toyota has done a lot of work in the undercarriage but also under the hood. Firstly, let’s start with the drivetrain. The new Tacoma ditches the old V-6 for a turbocharged four-cylinder that is paired with a hybrid system on higher trim levels. The base SR trims get 228 horsepower, trims with the i-Force hybrid system get bumped up to 278 horsepower, and the most powerful of all are the i-Force Max units with an impressive 326 horsepower.
Most excitingly, there will be two transmissions available, an eight-speed automatic and a six-speed manual. So, yes, the new Tacoma keeps its three pedals in some trim levels and ditches the incredibly old automatic unit it used to have.
Now, moving on under the vehicle, Toyota has also made plenty of changes to the suspension. Entry-level Tacomas still get rear leaf springs. However, more expensive models now utilize a multi-link coil-sprung design. This will improve on-road manners, and ride quality, but also off-road abilities since coil springs provide superior articulation to leaf springs.
This means that theoretically, the new Tacoma will be able to keep its wheels in contact with the ground for longer. In case you were wondering, Towing capacity hasn’t been affected by changing over to a coil-sprung rear end and now sits at 6500 pounds.
Finally, all new Tacomas get amazing safety systems with some minor alterations depending on trim level. For the most part, Safety Sense 3.0 is standard and provides pre-collision, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams, and proactive driving assist.
Overlanding From The Factory
Up until now, the most off-road-worthy Tacoma was the TRD Pro. However, this is no longer the case as the new Tacoma will now add the Trailhunter trim level. This means that the TRD Pro is now more focused towards high-speed off-roading while the Trailhunter is focused on vehicle-based off-road adventures or the recently popularized term of overlanding.
The TRD Pro features remote reservoir Fox shocks, underbody protection, a rear diff locker, incredibly clever seats, and a different look both outside and inside. The coolest part about the new TRD Pro might actually be the seats which use shocks to stabilize the driver when driving over rough terrain at high speeds.
TRD Pro Off-Road Features
Feature Category | Specific Features |
Suspension & Wheels | Fox 2.5-inch QS3 adjustable internal bypass shocks, red aluminum forged front TRD upper control arms, 18-inch TRD wheels, 33-inch Goodyear off-road tires, sway bar disconnect, and a rear locker. |
Brakes | Bigger front brakes are standard on TRD models and above and larger rear brakes are standard on hybrid powertrain models |
Exterior Features | - High-clearance ARB rear metal bumper, red recovery hooks, aluminum front skid plate, Toyota heritage grille with integrated LED light bar and Rigid LED fog lights |
Interior Features | IsoDynamic Performance front seats with shock absorber system to designed to dampen movements |
The Trailhunter on the other hand takes a different approach. It uses Old Man Emu remote reservoir shocks and is aimed towards adventure travel with the option to add a tent and other camping equipment from the factory. You can select a crew cab with a five-foot bed or a double cab with a six-foot setup.
You also get a 20-inch light bar, Rigid fog lights, triangulated bed lighting, exterior bed lights, a standard 2400-watt AC inverter, accessory switches that can be wired to aftermarket products, snorkel, all-terrain tires, rock sliders, and a utility bar. A rear locker and front sway bar disconnect are also available and drastically increase the abilities of the truck thanks to more articulation and traction.
So, it is safe to say that the new Tacoma looks better, and is more efficient, more fun, comfortable and capable than ever. Therefore, it may be safe to say that it will remain the best-selling mid-sized truck for the foreseeable future.