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It’s official – the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will be launched globally on May 19th, 2023. Toyota Global released this information last May 4th, 2023, and “Taco” fans are brimming with excitement. After all, the Japanese automaker has been building up the excitement with a series of official teasers about the new specs, features, and trims of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma since early April of this year. Most recently, a leaked photo of a white production Tacoma has circulated online (see the photo above). Although we’re still taking this image with a grain of salt, it does look quite official.
Pickup trucks accounted for roughly 20% of America’s passenger vehicle sales in 2022, and in this highly competitive segment, the Toyota Tacoma leads the midsize class against rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and GMC Canyon. In fact, the Toyota Tacoma has been the best-selling midsize pickup truck for almost two decades now. Among the competing pickup trucks, the Tacoma has been a market favorite due to its affordability, utility, design, reliability, good resale value, and off-road performance.
The 2023 Tacoma is already the 8th installment of the nameplate’s 3rd generation, and the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will be a complete redesign model year. So what will the 2024 Tacoma bring to the table this time around? From what we know so far, a lot. If you’re a Taco fan, this may be the perfect read for you. Here are 10 changes – both confirmed and highly probable – that the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will get.
10 The 2024 Tacoma Will Use The New TNGA-F Platform
Before the circulation of the supposedly leaked Tacoma image, our HotCars team has released some digital renders of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma. Both the leaked image and the digital renders point to a new body based on the Toyota New Global Architecture – F (TNGA-F) platform – the same one used by other full-size Toyota models like the Sequoia, Tundra, Land Cruiser 300, and Lexus LX. By using lightweight and more durable body construction elements with new powertrains, the TNGA platform will produce a lower center of gravity, better fuel efficiency, and overall, better on-road and off-road performance for Toyota vehicles.
The leaked image, however, shows a slightly more aggressive design with its black roof, contoured hood, hood scoop, fender flares, and lower bumper design. We do expect the scoop to be more than a faux aesthetic design, as discussed below.
9 The 2024 Tacoma Will Have A New Turbocharged Engine
The 2023 Tacoma currently offers two powerplants under the hood: a base 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine (159 hp, 180 lb-ft of torque) and a 3.5-liter V6 (278 hp, 265 lb-ft). For the Tacoma’s size and weight, and with today’s engine technology, the four-banger is laughably underpowered, and the V6 is just barely competitive.
Fortunately, Toyota already has a new TNGA engine ready to power the 2024 Tacoma – a 2.4-liter turbocharged I-4 engine that will make the current 2.7-liter mill look like a lawnmower motor and will make more torque than even the current V6 option. This new forced-induction 4-cylinder mill produces 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque for the 2023 Toyota Highlander, and an even more impressive 275 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque for the 2023 Lexus RX.
8 The 2024 Tacoma Will Get The i-FORCE MAX Hybrid System
Because of the new I-4 engine’s respectable horsepower and torque, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will be at par with the current Ford Ranger (270 hp, 310 lb-ft). However, both of them will still lag behind the current Chevy Colorado (up to 310 hp and 430 lb-ft). Fortunately, Toyota has an electrified solution for this: the i-FORCE MAX Hybrid engine system, which Toyota USA has confirmed in for its 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro trim. What we don’t know for sure, however, is which gasoline power plant they will be augmenting with electric motors.
Currently, the top trims of the Toyota Tundra and all Sequoias are using a new i-FORCE MAX hybrid engine based on the new 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 block. This hybrid system has a total output of 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. On the other hand, Lexus already uses the 2024 Tacoma’s expected 2.4-liter turbo-4 engine as the basis for the RX 500h F-Sport Performance trim’s hybrid propulsion system (366 hp and 406 lb-ft). Toyota will also use this “Hybrid Max” system for the upcoming Grand Highlander (362 hp, 400 lb-ft). Whether the 2024 Tacoma i-FORCE MAX uses the four-cylinder or the V6 as its gasoline block is still a coin toss, but either engine will make the 2024 Tacoma a class leader in terms of power.
7 The 2024 Tacoma May Get Toyota’s New 10-Speed A/T
The 2023 Toyota Tacoma currently offers a 6-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) for the nameplate’s A/T fans. Although this transmission is still highly functional and satisfactory for many Taco owners, there’s something newer and better in the TNGA-F arsenal of shareable features. This is the new 10-speed ECT-i system that’s currently in use by the 2023 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia. With more gear settings available, the 2024 Tacoma will be able to maximize its engine (or hybrid system) output during both on and off-road scenarios.
6 The Stick Shift Lives On In The 2024 Tacoma
For many pickup truck owners – especially the traditional and hardcore off-road enthusiasts – you’re not really driving a truck if you’re not driving a stick. These manual transmission fans are a dwindling breed, but in the world of performance off-road machines, they are still very influential. For decades, the Taco has been a highly-appealing midsize pickup to this group because the Toyota midsize truck still offers a 6-speed M/T option.
For the 2024 Tacoma, Toyota has confirmed with yet another teaser photo (see the 3-pedal setup above) that the midsize pickup truck will retain its 6-speed M/T option. Stick-shift purists, rejoice!
5 The 2024 Tacoma Will Welcome The New Trailhunter Edition For Overlanders
In 2022, Toyota announced the development of a new Trailhunter grade of its trucks using a Tundra-based Trailhunter Concept vehicle at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show (SEMA). The Toyota concept truck displayed at this show was equipped with a Trailhunter-exclusive suspension setup, a roof rack, skid plates, bumpers, exterior lighting, a rooftop tent, and even a refrigerator – all engineered specifically for overlanding activities. Toyota’s vision is to make the Trailhunter grade a complete package that adventurous campers and overlanders can get straight out of dealerships, with Toyota Genuine and available Associated Accessory Products all covered by Toyota’s vehicle warranty.
In one of Toyota USA’s 2024 Tacoma teasers, the company released a rearview image of the Tacoma Trailhunter. In this image, the 2024 Tacoma Trailhunter sports a rear bumper, rear skid plate, and rear recovery hook from ARB – Australia’s largest manufacturer and distributor of 4×4 accessories.
4 The New Tacoma EV May Join The 2024 Tacoma Lineup
Aside from the Trailhunter, another Tacoma variant has been making a lot of noise for the much-anticipated 2024 model year – a fully-electric Tacoma. There’s no word from Toyota yet regarding the 2024 Tacoma EV’s battery capacity and power output, but based on the concept vehicle that the Japanese carmaker showcased in December 2021, the electric pickup truck’s body is very close to production specifications.
If and when the 2024 Toyota Tacoma EV starts rolling out of the showrooms, it will only have one direct competitor in its size class – the Rivian R1t. The full-size EV pickup trucks will have a lot to worry about because the Tacoma EV will probably be smaller, lighter, more affordable, and more practical to drive around than the F-150 Lightning, the Silverado EV, and most especially, the gargantuan Hummer EV.
3 Toyota Will Provide Additional Exterior Lighting For The 2024 Tacoma
The 2023 Toyota Tacoma already sports LED headlights and fog lights – but any hardcore off-roader or overlander will not rely solely on these exterior lighting sources when they take the 2024 Tacoma to its natural habitats – unpopulated canyons and deserts, snowy streets, dark foggy mountain roads, and canopy-covered forests. The lighting equipment needed for these driving environments is currently supplied mostly by numerous aftermarket automotive lighting manufacturers and installers.
Instead of getting their vehicle warranties voided by aftermarket product installation, 2024 Tacoma buyers may want to get the extra lighting equipment straight from Toyota’s dealerships. Fortunately, based on another teaser image from Toyota, it seems that certain off-road trims of the 2024 Tacoma will be providing at least one forward-facing LED bar, integrated into the front grille.
2 The 2024 Tacoma Will Get Larger Digital Displays
The 2023 Toyota Tacoma’s highest trims currently come with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen unit and an analog instrument cluster, both of which are quite small and outdated compared to those in the current RAV4 and Highlander models. Yes, these old features may still be functional, but they will not be sophisticated enough for the new hybrid and fully-electric systems that the 2024 Tacoma will bring along. For instance, it will be impossible for the current Tacoma’s analog instrument cluster to display the electric power output level and the traction battery charge of the 2024 Tacoma hybrid and EV variants.
For the 2024 Tacoma, Toyota will likely provide a base 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster similar to those in the 2023 Highlander. Additionally, Toyota will also provide a new 8-inch or 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system for the 2024 Tacoma. The wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity will be convenient features, but Tacoma off-roaders will be more appreciative of a larger, clearer display for the Multi-Terrain and Panoramic View features. This will give the 2024 Tacoma buyers better recognition and assessment capability of all the terrain obstacles that they may encounter.
1 The 2024 Tacoma Will Feature Portable JBL Flex Speakers
To allow Tacoma off-roaders and overlanders to enjoy their music (or radio news) better during camping and tailgate parties, Toyota will give the 2024 Tacoma a JBL premium audio system with accompanying JBL Flex speakers. These Flex speakers can be detached from their dashboard docks and brought outside the cabin to pump out the infotainment system’s audio, presumably via Bluetooth connection. Check out Toyota USA’s teaser above showing one JBL Flex speaker sitting on top of the 2024 Tacoma’s bed.
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