The Toyota Tacoma->ke1042 hasn’t changed all that much since 2004, but it hasn’t had to. The market for small and midsize trucks has been in a steady decline since the early 2000s, so it didn’t take much for the Tacoma to hold its position as the top-selling truck in its class. That changed when GM announced it would be bringing its latest version of the global Colorado to the U.S., and Toyota->ke88 got to work to ensure it didn’t lose any ground. Enter the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, which was officially unveiled today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Toyota reengineered every aspect of the Tacoma to make it tougher and more capable than ever, starting with a stronger frame, a more versatile suspension tuning and new powertrain options. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder is still the base engine, but the 2016 Toyota Tacoma will now be able to upgrade to a 3.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine to maximize fuel economy. No power figures are available, but Toyota promises that the new Tacoma will be more powerful and more efficient than the current model.

Customers can get either engine with Toyota’s new six-speed automatic transmission, but, in a rare move these days, the V-6 engine will also be available with a six-speed manual gearbox. For comparison, the Chevrolet Colorado->ke1193 and GMC Canyon only offer a manual transmission with the four-cylinder engine, and availability is limited even further to just the lowest trim levels of these trucks in two-wheel drive only. Off-road enthusiasts will appreciate the addition of Toyota’s Crawl Control that makes it easy to drive up and over just about any terrain.

Exterior styling is on par with what we’ve come to expect from Toyota trucks and SUVs with a wide, blocky stance and polarizing looks. This starts at the front end where the new grille looks like it was inspired by a hungry robot monster, while the rear end design was inspired by the current Tundra with “TACOMA” lettering stamped into the tailgate.

A total of five trim levels will be offered from the base SR to the go-anywhere TRD Off-Road and finally the luxury-themed Limited. Regardless of which trim is chosen, all 2016 Toyota Tacoma models will come standard with a GoPro mount that can be found near the rearview mirror. The new Tacoma will be offered with options that include push-button start, leather seats, and wireless smartphone charging.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Toyota Tacoma .

Why it matters

Despite little positive action in the midsize truck market for the last decade or so, this segment has heated up over recently. Starting with the introduction of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, Toyota now aims to maintain its top-selling status in this market with the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Oh, and don’t forget that Nissan is still planning on bringing a diesel-powered Frontier to market in the near future. This is definitely a great time to be in the market for a small pickup truck.