{"id":27991,"date":"2021-09-23T12:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T16:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27991"},"modified":"2021-09-23T12:56:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T16:56:00","slug":"tundra-transformed-toyota-pickup-gains-hybrid-coil-springs-big-screens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/tundra-transformed-toyota-pickup-gains-hybrid-coil-springs-big-screens","title":{"rendered":"Tundra transformed: Toyota pickup gains hybrid, coil springs, big screens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Built tough. Built high-tech. Built in America.<\/p>\n

Like its Detroit Three competitors, the\u00a0Toyota Tundra pickup\u00a0has been completely remade for the 2020s. While unable to match its opposition’s\u00a0breathtaking range of trims and engines (not to mention heavy duty work trucks), the Texas-made pickup is more competitive than ever while offering Toyota’s proven\u00a0formula of reliability, value\u00a0and off-road machismo.<\/p>\n

\"King<\/p>\n
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Developed with teams in California and\u00a0Ann Arbor \u2014 and assembled in San Antonio \u2014\u00a0the \u201922 model is the first Toyota truck to offer a hybrid powertrain, and only the second to feature a multi-link rear suspension\u00a0with coil springs.<\/p>\n

With aggressive styling, a state-of-the-art digital interior, and rock-chewing TRD Pro model, Tundra is the most competitive tool the Japanese brand has offered. While offering range-topping TRD Pro and Platinum models, the Tundra will likely start in the mid-$30,000s and make a strong value pitch with standard adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, and an all-new, 389-horsepower, 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine replacing its old nail V-8.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a fresh, transformational approach to our truck development and had to rethink many things we\u2019d previously done,\u201d said Senior Vice President for Product Development Mike Sweers, who has been navigator\u00a0aboard some of Toyota’s ambitious Baja 1000 race entries.<\/p>\n

The truck matches innovations found in the current generation of Detroit pickups \u2014 Ram-like coil springs, Silverado-like big horizontal dash touchscreen, Ford-like materials bed innovation\u00a0\u2014 while bringing unique Toyota design and powertrain innovation.<\/p>\n

Tundra looks like it drove out of a LEGO\u00a0Technic box with bold, segmented shapes. Its so-called \u201cTechnical\u00a0Muscle\u201d design theme is a sharp departure from the previous, second-generation model’s conservative lines. Following in\u00a0the footsteps of Toyota and Lexus models that President Akio Toyoda demanded be styled to turn heads, Tundra features deep body scallops and a lantern jaw.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur design goal from the beginning was to create the most powerful, rugged and sophisticated looking full-size pickup that will take Tundra to a whole new level,\u201d said Kevin Hunter, president of Toyota\u2019s U.S.-based Calty Design Research.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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While Toyota, like Ram, Chevy\u00a0and GMC, has resisted Ford\u2019s radical turn to aluminum body panels, it nevertheless delivers an unusual,\u00a0aluminum-reinforced composite bed that Toyota claims will be rust-free without compromising strength. The bed is offered in 5.5, 6.5, and 8.1-foot configurations. They are anchored to\u00a0two different, four-door Double and CrewMax cabs.<\/p>\n

The material light-weighting continues in the tailgate, which loses 20% of its girth while adding a remote drop key-fob feature like Silverado.<\/p>\n

Under the bed, the Toyota sits on a multi-link suspension with coil springs (double-wishbone suspension up front). The push to a more SUV-like suspension geometry suggests the Toyota’s ambitions as an aggressive handling truck true to its\u00a0TRD Pro\u00a0performance badge. To complement its upgraded suspension, Tundra offers Fox (TRD Pro) and Bilstein (TRD) performance shocks and\u00a0versatile air suspension for\u00a0premium trims.<\/p>\n

\"Turning<\/p>\n
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Top grades also\u00a0offer hydraulic cab mounts for a smoother road ride\u00a0on the truck\u2019s traditional ladder frame.<\/p>\n

At its heart, Tundra is the first full-size pickup to ditch the V-8 engine. The core, twin-turbo V-6 produces a healthy 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque \u2014 eclipsing the previous-gen, 5.7-liter V-8\u2019s 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. While other automakers offer V-8 and diesel options, Tundra tries to incorporate attributes of both \u2014 torque and fuel efficiency \u2014 with the hybrid (Ford offers a similar hybrid).<\/p>\n

When married to an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery (a Toyota staple even as other manufacturers depend on lithium-ion cells), the i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain lists an impressive\u00a0437 ponies\u00a0and stump-pulling 583 pound-feet of torque that can operate in electric-only mode up to 18 mph. Both are controlled by 10-speed transmissions\u00a0with towing capacity of\u00a012,000 pounds \u2014 an increase of almost 20% (payload is 1,940 pounds).<\/p>\n

The inside is wrapped in LEGOland styling\u00a0with small instrument and 8-inch console screens in the base model before big, 12.3-inch and 14-inch digital screens are optioned like Detroit Three models. Tundra debuts Toyota\u2019s Audio Multimedia system that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto\u00a0\u2014 as well as current voice recognition cues to wake up the system, like \u201cHey\u00a0Toyota.”<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Though shy of Ford Raptor and Ram TRX super trucks, the TRD Pro \u2014 raised an additional 1.1 inches on its Fox shocks \u2014 is aimed at the\u00a0Ford F-150 Tremor, Ram\u00a0Rebel\u00a0and Chevy’s new Silverado ZR2. The beefy\u00a0hybrid V-6 is the TRD Pro\u2019s standard mill. Other off-road enhancements include underbody armor\u00a0and all-terrain Falken tires.<\/p>\n

Though refreshed\u00a0in 2014, the Tundra\u2019s core chassis and drivetrain were last changed in 2007.<\/p>\n

Taking a page from Ford, Toyota’s Downhill Assist control and CRAWL control settings allow\u00a0a sort of low-speed, off-road cruise control. In tow mode, the hybrid\u00a0claims smoother operation thanks to the electric motor.<\/p>\n

Tundra is festooned with tow-assist features and multiple camera views \u2014 the headliner being a\u00a0Panoramic View Monitor that\u00a0uses cameras to display a top-down, 360-degree view of the truck on the 14-inch monitor for better maneuvering. There is no sign, however, that Tundra is trying to keep pace with GM an Ford hands-free driver-assist systems.<\/p>\n

The 2022 Tundra will arrive at dealerships later this year. It will be available in SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794\u00a0and TRD Pro grades.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Built tough. Built high-tech. Built in America. Like its Detroit Three competitors, the\u00a0Toyota Tundra pickup\u00a0has been completely remade for the 2020s. While unable to match its opposition’s\u00a0breathtaking range of trims and engines (not to mention heavy duty work trucks), the Texas-made pickup is more competitive than ever while offering Toyota’s proven\u00a0formula of reliability, value\u00a0and off-road […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27991"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27992,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27991\/revisions\/27992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}