Toyota has managed to keep most of the 2022 Tundra close to home, with next to no information leaking out thus far. We do know that it’ll feature a familiar look, better safety equipment, and it’s supposed to be a “best in class, world beater” truck. Expected to be revealed sometime later in 2021, we have a lot of questions, but we now know there’s one thing we don’t have to worry about: Power. And that’s because the new Tundra will have a whole lot of it.
New Engines, Better Power Will Swoop The Tundra Back Into Relevance Once Again
The current Tundra has been on the market 2007 with a major refresh happening in 2014, but no matter how you look at it, the Tundra has aged considerably. Fortunately, 2022 will bring with it a new Tundra, and it’s shaping up to be a model that could put the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado in check. We’ve already speculated a lot and talked about a few things we do know about the new Tundra, but until now, we’ve known little about the Tundra’s powertrain outside of the fact that the base engine may be a hybridized V-6 and that an electric Tundra could happen sooner than you think. Now, Toyota’s Executive VP of sales in North America – Bob Carter – has exposed just how high Toyota is aiming.
In an interview with Motor Trend, Carter said that the Tundra’s base engine will be “a core powertrain that’s substantially more powerful in terms of horsepower and torque than the current V-8.” As a reminder, the current Tundra’s 5.7-liter V-8 delivers a decent output of 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque, so that means the new Tundra’s base engine will deliver more than that. Carter stopped short of divulging in-depth information about that base engine, but with emissions standards being what they are (and all the rumors about hybridization), it’s quite likely that we’re talking about a hybrid V-6.
Beyond the base engine, Toyota has another trick up its sleeve, and that’s going to be what could instill fear in the Tundra’s competitionAccording to Carter, the new, optional powertrain incorporates a new technologoy “that will blow you away.” What that new technology is, however, is still a huge mystery. Toyota has be actively working with battery electric propulsion, hybrid powertrains, and hydrogen powertrains, so this “new technology” could literally be any of the three or something else we haven’t heard about yet.
We’d love to know what Toyota is trying to win, though. Is it simply looking to best the F-150, Silverado, and Ram 1500 at their own game, or is Toyota finally looking to go after trucks like the F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX? My guess is that it will be both. From the start, Toyota will deliver a competent truck that’s capable of outperforming the competition in terms of payload, towing, and even cabin space, among other things. Then, once the optional powertrain has launched and TRD can have its way with the new Tundra, Toyota is going to aim for the starts and come after the Raptor and TRX. It’s only a matter of time.
On that note, the Toyota Tundra will be built in San Antonio, Texas alongside the next-gen Toyota Sequoia. Production is expected to start in November with first deliveries hitting dealers before the end of 2021 – just in time for Christmas. Given the time frame, expect to see the new Tundra in the metal sometime near the end of summer or early fall, maybe around September or early October at the latest.