After years of anticipation and tease from Toyota, the Tacoma Hybrid has finally been announced to be released in 2024. Toyota recently released a photograph of the new Tacoma, and it is flaunting the i-FORCE MAX badge, which means it will have the same hybrid powertrain as the Tundra. The Tacoma was in dire need of an upgrade, even though it has excelled in terms of sales in the States. Well, you just have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the newest Tacoma as it is expected to go into production in the last quarter of 2023. The Tacoma has been one of the most reliable cars to come out of Toyota. This release will help Toyota dominate more than it already does and give tough competition to the Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger Raptor, and the Chevrolet Colorado.

Related: Everything We Know About The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid

The Tacoma’s Clever New Hybrid Powertrain: More Power And Higher Towing Capacity2024 Hybrid Tacoma

Though official details about the powertrain have not yet been revealed for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid, it is expected that it will share its powertrain with the likes of the Toyota Crown and the Grand Highlander. So, we presume that with the help of its battery and off-road Toyota’s tuning, the 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder hybrid engine will make 313 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, which is 39 more horses and a staggering 175 pound-feet of torque more than its current version. For petrol heads searching for more power, there's the 3.5-liter V-6 twin-turbo hybrid engine. This powertrain makes 437 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque for the 2023 Tundra TRD Pro. Three pedals live on as Toyota will be giving you a manual transmission for this truck, and it will also offer an outdated six-speed automatic transmission, which; however, doesn’t quite match the 10-speed automatic transmission found in GMC Sierra and Ford Ranger Raptor.

With all the information that is currently available, we can expect that the Tacoma Hybrid will get a slightly less powerful and detuned version of this engine, but nonetheless, this is great news for Tacoma loyalists. This powertrain allows 12,000 pounds of towing capacity, and we expect the highest trim of the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid to have a similar capacity, as the current highest version only has 6,700 pounds of towing ability. Hence, more power, more torque, and almost twice the towing capacity are definitely some facts that suggest that the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid will drive this Japanese manufacturer into a new age.

Related: Toyota Tacoma Hybrid: 10 Things You Need To Know

Massive Suspension, Braking, And Infotainment Upgrades

Some Tacoma owners complained that the car’s ride was very rough and uncomfortable, which was mainly due to its leaf spring suspension setup. Well, you don’t have to worry about it anymore, as some keen Tacoma enthusiasts spotted a coil spring setup on the initial pictures that Toyota released. This is revolutionary because it significantly improves the ride quality of the vehicle; it is more durable, you can tune it for different terrains, and it provides better stability, which increases safety. Furthermore, thanks to the Instagram of Toyota, we got more pictures that gave stubble hints, and one of the major things that the Tacoma loyalists figured out was the introduction of what looked like disc brakes. This is a piece of significant news because the Tacoma had still been using ancient drum brakes. Disc brakes are better than drum brakes in many ways: it dissipates heats better, which means it doesn’t overheat, thus providing better and more consistent performance; disc brakes perform very well in the rain when compared to drum brakes, and fewer moving parts lead to fewer chances of failure. It looks like Toyota has heard the voice of its customers, but we still wait for official confirmation, as often the production car is different from the preproduction one.

It is expected that Toyota will ditch the old and outdated eight-inch small screen and replace it with the 14-inch screen that is found in the new Toyota Tundra. It is assumed that the Tacoma will retain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for on-the-go connectivity. We will be waiting for the official confirmation, but the signs are very promising that this car is going to turn up the heat on its competitors like Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, and GMC.

Related: Why Millennials Can't Wait For the Toyota Tacoma Electric Pickup Truck

The Future Of The Tacoma Looks Bright

2024 Toyota Tacoma EV
Toyota

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid will have an all-electric range or not. The 2023 Toyota Tundra does not have an all-electric range, and we expect many similarities between these two trucks; hence, the Tacoma Hybrid is not expected to have a mode that allows you to drive it fully on battery power. However, Toyota and Lexus plan to sell 3.5 million EVs by 2030. In December 2021, Toyota showed its strategic plans, and one of the cars that might have been missed was the Tacoma. It has already been announced that Toyota will release 15 EVs by 2030 and the Tacoma EV will be one of them. The significance of the truck is massive because Toyota sold 237,323 copies of the Tacoma in 2022, which shows how well it does in the U.S. market.

It is expected that the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid will have a starting price of $28,000. We'll be waiting for more official details, such as real-world MPG, safety features, and driver aids. However, the initial signs tell us that this truck will have worked on its very few downsides and will be trying to be a more complete truck, which competitors like Ford, Nissan, GMC, and Chevrolet will have a hard time competing with. As always, we will be on our toes anticipating the reliable and tough Tacoma to hit the dealerships, but until then, we will have to patiently wait.