Believe it or not, many reports were actually suggesting a complete 2020 Toyota Tacoma redesign, despite the fact that the current generation has been around for no more than four years. Of course, the complete overhaul didn’t happen, but there is a large number of novelties that were introduced with this model year. It’s not exactly a redesign, but rather a typical mid-cycle refresh. The Japanese manufacturer focused on the wear points of its truck and tried to make it better.
From what we can see in the new version, it looks like Toyota has done this job very well. There are some pretty nice updates in terms of standard features and new technologies and despite that the styling has remained practically the same, it looks that no one has a problem with that, especially because the interior now looks much better, thanks to a couple of new more-than-needed features.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Redesign Didn’t Happen But…
The 2020 Toyota Tacoma redesign didn’t happen but there is a nice number of novelties that have been introduced. One of the first things that you’ll notice is that Tacoma now features a little bit different grille. The overall shape might be the same, but there is a completely new, more attractive pattern. That is probably the only major exterior change. On the other side, interior changes are numerous. One of the first things we should mention is that this small pickup finally comes with a power-adjustable driver’s seat. The new feature will definitely improve the overall driving experience and the best thing is that this 10-way adjustable seat comes already with the SR5 trim level.
Another huge interior novelty is a new infotainment system. First of all, there are new touchscreens, bigger than before. The base SR trim now features a 7-inch screen, while the rest of the lineup is equipped with a bigger 8-inch unit. Second of all, there is new software, which is faster, more intuitive and has better graphics. Also, the new infotainment system is finally compatible with smartphone goodies like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa.
Another quite interesting tech novelty is the addition of two camera-based systems. Those are called Panoramic View and Multi-Terrain Monitors. Thanks to these two systems, you can see everything that is happening around and underneath the truck, which very useful in many situations, particularly when off-roading.
Engines
We read a lot of stories about the engines that could come with the 2020 Toyota Tacoma redesign. They were suggesting diesel versions, hybrid powertrain and all other kinds of novelties. The redesign didn’t happen, neither new engines arrived. The upcoming model year is about to carry on with two familiar gasoline units. Base models come with a familiar 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, which is good for about 159 horsepower.
Of course, an optional 3.5-liter V6 is still a much better deal. It delivers around 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, providing much better driving dynamics, as well as a quite respectable max towing capacity that goes up to 6.800 pounds. Both engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Redesign and TRD Pro
The TRD Pro model takes a special place in the model’s lineup and despite the fact that the 2020 Toyota Tacoma redesign didn’t happen, there are some pretty interesting novelties that were introduced with this trim level. First of all, there are new Fox shocks, as well as a new suspension setup. The new model features for about an inch higher ground clearance. Another interesting novelty is a new Army Green exterior color option, which is available at this trim level only.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Redesign Didn’t Happen But Could Happen Pretty Soon
Despite that the 2020 Toyota Tacoma redesign didn’t happen, we could see it pretty soon, much sooner than we would normally expect. The fact that there aren’t many styling changes is a clear indicator that the current generation won’t have such a long production cycle as it was the case with some previous models.
The secret lays in the fact that the Japanese manufacturer has developed a new body-on-frame architecture, which underprint the next-generation Tundra, which is about to hit the market next year. The interesting thing is that this is a modular platform. So, it won’t be used for full-size, but for mid-size models only. This clearly indicates that the new Tacoma, as well as the next-generation HiLux and 4Runner, will be built over this architecture. In practice, this means that the development will take less time than before. This could mean the all-new Tacoma in just a couple of years.
Of course, keep in mind that this is just speculation. The current generation is still by far the best selling model in the class. So, we have no doubt that Toyota won’t rush with the new model.