Toyota continues teasing the new Tundra and this time we may have some hints about the engine options. We recently saw the debut of the latest Toyota Land Cruiser 300-Series, which gives us a good idea of what engines we can expect to find in the new Tundra, as the two have shared a lot of their powertrains in the past. We know that the full-size pick-up truck will make good use of Toyota’s new-generation iForce engines, but what exactly does this mean for the engine options?

The base Tundra engine is expected to be the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 unit that powers the new Land Cruiser. In the SUV, it makes 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (649 Nm). Toyota also promises that the optional Tundra powertrain “will blow you away”, whatever this means.


Engine

3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6

Power

409 HP

Torque

479 LB-FT


They teased the powertrain in question with an image of an engine cover, on which we see “iForce Max” proudly displayed. The part of the engine cover that’s visible suggests that it is, once again, a V-6. The “Max” lettering is in blue and given that Toyota’s hybrid vehicles feature blue symbols, it's safe to say that the Tundra will be offered as a hybrid.

This could either mean that the Tundra will become an MHEV or a PHEV, although given Toyota’s hybrid powertrains so far, the latter is much more likely.

Although still not officially confirmed, what we see is most likely the same 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 aided by electric motors. This could either mean that the Tundra will become an MHEV or a PHEV, although given Toyota’s hybrid powertrains so far, the latter is much more likely.

If we go by the Lexus LS500h, which uses the normally-aspirated version of the 3.5-liter V-6 paired with two electric motors, we could get a similar powertrain architecture in the Tundra. The system’s output is expected to be at least 450 horsepower and at least 520 pound-feet (705 Nm).


Engine

3.5-liter V-6 + two electric motors

Power

450 HP

Torque

520 LB-FT


The question remains: how exactly is it going to blow our minds away? Performance has never been a top priority when it comes to Toyota’s hybrid powertrains, so this leaves fuel economy and since we are talking about a full-size pick-up truck, towing capacity. The current Toyota Tundra 5.7 V-8 has a towing capacity of 10,200 pounds (4,627 kg), so the new iForce Max powertrain would surely top that. One thing remains a disappointment though. There is no mention of a V-8 unit and an electric tundra, either. At least not yet. Be sure to read up on everything you need to know about the 2022 Toyota Tundra!