Toyota has updated its pickup trucks, the Tundra and the Tacoma, for the 2023 model year. There isn’t much done to the trucks per se, but the automaker has introduced packages for both of them. For the Tacoma, Toyota is offering two packages – the Chrome Package and the SX Package. Both of these are offered only on the SR5 grade. The other addition is the Solar Octane exterior shade for the TRD Pro. Will these additions be enough for the Tacoma to retain its number 1 spot in the midsize pickup truck segment?
Here are all the trims available in the Tacoma lineup:
- SR
- SR5
- TRD Sport
- TRD Off-road
- Limited
- TRD Pro
The new packages that are offered here are for the SR5 grade exclusively. The two packages are the SX Package and the Chrome Package.
Toyota Tacoma SX Package
Although it’s an SR5-exclusive package, you can have it only on the SR5s with a V-6 engine. The SX Package will make the truck look a lot more aggressive than it does as standard. For starters, it comes with new 16-inch black wheels. These are complemented with black overhead fenders that lend to a rugged stance. Even the lug nuts on the wheels receive the black treatment, and so do the outer mirrors. Black badging and unique bed graphic round up this package.
Toyota Tacoma Chrome Package
The Chrome Package, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. Everything is bright and bling-y here. The package comes with:
- 18-inch chrome-finished alloy wheels
- Chrome-finished outer door handles and exhaust tip
- TACOMA tailgate insert
- Leather-wrapped shift knob inside the cabin
The Chrome Package will be available only on the V-6-powered SR5 Double Cab with a 5-foot bed in either two-wheel- or four-wheel-drive configuration.
The TRD Pro Comes With A New Color
The other major change comes in the form of a new Solar Octane exterior shade for the TRD Pro model. Last year also Toyota introduced a new Electric Lime Metallic shade on the TRD Pro. Apart from these two, the Tacoma TRD Pro can also be had in either Super White, Gray Metallic, or Midnight Black Metallic.
Toyota made the TRD Pro an even better offering last year when it made some off-road enhancements. It comes with FOX 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks tuned by TRD engineers. There are new upper control arms with machine-forged aluminum construction for added strength. The suspension is raised by 1.5 inches up front and 0.5 inches at the rear. Courtesy of these changes, it boasts of better off-road figures. The approach angle is improved to 36.4 degrees, departure angle to 24.7 degrees, and breakover angle to 26.6 degrees.
There are some other changes too, like the Smart Key operation on all the V-6 SR5s. 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, two-way lumbar support, and dual-zone automatic climate control are also standard on all V-6 Tacomas now.
Two Engine Options On The Tacoma
The Tacoma comes with two engine options. The four-pot mill displaces 2.7 liters and produces 159 horses and 180 pound-feet of torque. The other option is a 3.5-liter V-6 that churns out 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Both the engines are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, whereas the V-6 is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. As for the towing capacity, the Tacoma can tow up to 6,800 pounds when equipped with the Tow Package.
The Toyota Tacoma Isn’t Doing So Well
All said and done, the Tacoma can be had in 34 combinations in total, and that can be credited to its overall success. Even though it is the best-selling mid-size pickup truck, the Tacoma hasn’t had a great start to 2022. Until the end of April, the automaker managed to move 71,024 examples, whereas in the same period last year, Toyota sold 90,897 Tacomas. It’s not just the Tacoma; the whole industry has been in the slump due to a variety of reasons. But, some folks pin the blame on the Tundra and how it has cannibalized into the Tacoma’s sales. To think of it, it wouldn’t be too wrong to assume that since the latest iteration of the Tundra is new from the ground up.
This is why the new Tundra is a much better offering since the 2022 model overhaul:
- Based on a new platform; a switch made after 14 years
- Comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s not a gas-guzzler like the 5.7-liter V-8. Offered in three configurations, one of which is a hybrid. The engine produces 348 horses and 405 pound-feet of torque in the standard tuning, and 389 horses and 479 pound-feet of torque in the more powerful avatar
- The hybrid option puts out 437 horses and 583 pound-feet of torque
- Maximum towing capacity is now rated at 12,000 pounds and the payload capacity at 1,940 pounds
- Tow body styles with three different bed sizes in total
- Reinvigorated looks and now offered in 11 exterior shades
The 2023 Toyota Tundra’s starting price is $35,950, which is just a $1,600 premium over the preceding model. This makes the new Tundra look like a value-for-money proposition and could make a lot of people consider it over the Tacoma. It overlaps the prices of the Tacoma, too, which starts at just over $27,000.
Conclusion
There’s no word on the pricing of any of the packages yet, but Toyota noted they won’t break the bank. Also, these are fitted at the dealership and don’t come directly equipped from the factory. We don’t see the standard lineup receiving any price hike, but even if it does, it might go up by a few hundred bucks. The 2022 Tacoma lineup starts at $27,150 and tops out at $46,585.