Recently, reports have been suggesting Toyota is planning some massive lineup changes over the next few years. Overhauling the brand’s aging trucks and SUVs will be one of the major projects. We don’t know whether (or under what branding) the U.S. will get the new Land Cruiser, but Americans will be getting the Tundra full-size pickup, reportedly arriving in late 2021. And as often happens these days, pictures of what appears to be the new truck have leaked on Instagram.
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While this is our “best look” so far at the new Tundra, there’s not too much we can glean from the low-quality photos. Toyota is not radically rethinking conventional pickup truck body-design, a la the Cybertruck. The truck has the front and rear LED lighting one would anticipate on a modern truck. There may be some form of a light bar beneath the Toyota grille emblem.
Toyota enthusiasts love the Tundra for its off-road capability and build quality. But for a broader audience, the Tundra is ancient — especially by the standards of the hyper-competitive American full-size truck segment. The second-generation Tundra went into production 14 years ago; in comparison, Ford has released a new F-150 three times during that span.
What changes are in store? Reports suggest the Tundra will be switching from a V8 to a twin-turbo V6; the current version, which gets 14 mpg combined in 4×4 spec, is one of the least environmentally-friendly vehicles one can buy. There should be many ride quality and safety improvements from moving to a new, more advanced truck platform. Toyota was also conspicuously hiding something about the Tundra’s rear axle and suspension during testing. Expect to find out all the answers in 2021.