Note: Current generation pictured here.
It appears Toyota->ke88 will be the next automaker to adopt diesel technology into its full-size truck segment. According to WardsAuto, the Tundra will be getting a V-8 diesel powerplant when its next generation debuts in 2016. What’s more, word has it Tundra’s new oil-burner will be supplied by famed diesel builder, Cummins. And not just any Cummins at that…
It will be a version of the same 5.0-liter V-8 turbodiesel that rival truck-builder Nissan->ke62 has slotted to power its next-generation Titan->ke482 set to debut next year. Not only is this huge news for Tundra fans, it represents uncharted territory in diesel engine sharing on the light-duty level. Truck buyers are a fiercely loyal bunch, so it will be interesting to see where exactly loyalties fall -- with the truck- or engine-builder.
There’s no official word on how the Tundra’s diesel->ke1917 will compare to the Titan’s, which is said to be rated at “more than” 300 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. The only sure thing is the certainty of some very intense engineering meetings between the three companies.
The overriding reason diesels are catching headlines these days is the need for automakers to meet the impending CAFÉ standards that are tightening up on corporate average mpg ratings. The target: a company average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. Nissan and Toyota aren’t the first to go diesel. Ram, in fact, already has their 3.0-liter V-6 EcoDiesel currently on sale in the U.S. Rated at 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, the EcoDiesel Ram 1500 achieves a class-leading 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Toyota Tundra.
2016 Toyota Tundra
- Make: Array
- Model: 2016 Toyota Tundra
- Engine/Motor: V8
- Horsepower: 325
- Torque: 510
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Competitors
Currently, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the Tundra's only living competition, as the Titan won't come to market until next year. The Ecodiesel makes for stout competition, however, as it produces 240 horsepower and a stump-pulling 420 pound-feet of torque. While the Ram is still rated to tow some 9,500 pounds, its EPA estimates are an astounding 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
We haven't heard much on the upcoming second-generation Titan, but we do know about its Cummins-sourced, 5.0-liter, V-8 turbodiesel. Making "more than" 300 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, the Titan seems to slot somewhere between a light duty (like the Ram 1500) and a full-on heavy duty truck like the Ram 2500 HD.