You probably know that the most popular mid-size truck in North America is coming with a batch of updates for the next year. What you probably don’t know is that the Japanese manufacturer won’t stop on this updates. The company wants to keep the model’s leading position and the best way to do that is to offer new features. For most potential drivers, powertrain plays a very important role. Therefore, the 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid doesn’t sound unlikely at all. Although it’s still just a rumor, insiders are claiming that the electrified version will come pretty soon.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Specs
While everyone is currently talking about the new Tundra and its hybrid powertrain, the 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid is also in development, according to some reports. This doesn’t sound strange at all. The Tacoma is the segment leader and also the industry leader in terms of hybrid technologies. So, there’s no real reason why we shouldn’t see Tacoma with such setup.
At this point, there is a couple of powertrain candidates. Still, the one that looks most likely is the system that powers the popular RX crossover. It is a V6-based system that delivers a combined output of 308 horsepower. That’s 30 hp more compared to the current V6 Tacoma, but the company probably won’t stop there. It looks like we will see additional modifications on the system, which would provide more power and make it more efficient.
Fuel Economy
Of course, this is one of the main reasons for the introduction of a hybrid version. The fact is that current gasoline engines aren’t particularly economical. They are thirstier compared to most rivals. For example, the V6 model returns around 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, which are pretty subpar ratings for the segment.
With the new 2020 Tacoma Hybrid, things would be much different. The RX currently returns around 31 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Considering that two vehicles feature similar curb weight, we presume that the 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid mpg ratings could come pretty close to these. In any case, numbers will be much better compared to current gasoline models.
How about towing ratings?
Considering that the new 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid would be more powerful and that would feature much more torque, we presume it would be also able to tow more than current models. The current Tacoma definitely isn’t the most capable mid-size truck around. It can tow up to 6.800 pounds, while rivals like Colorado of new Gladiator easily go over 7.500 pounds. This should change with the new hybrid powertrain.
When to expect 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid?
The new version won’t be ready for the upcoming launch of the updated model. Still, we could see it already during next year. It is still early to talk about exact numbers, but we presume that the 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid price would go around 35.000 dollars.
Is there a chance for a diesel version?
Besides the new 2020 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid, we could see another fuel-efficient version on the market. In this case, we would see a diesel powertrain. At this point, a 2.8-liter from HiLux seems like a perfect choice. It delivers around 177 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, though we could see a slight power and torque boost for this occasion. In any case, max towing capacity should go over 7.500 pounds.