Here’s what could well be an early look at the 2024 Toyota Tacoma!
We know the brand-new, fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma is upon us, but we are likely getting a sneak peek at what it will look like thanks to new patent images. Now, these did not pop up on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website through which we’ve covered as-yet unrevealed truck news before, but rather the Brazilian patent registration office. That was a bit of a weird one for me, but it does indeed check out, as a member of the Tacoma 4G Forum posted earlier Tuesday.
In short, this truck looks remarkably similar to the Tacoma EV Concept shown in late 2021. Actually, Tacoma 4G posted some renderings based around that design, too. From what we can tell, they’re pretty close to what we’ll actually see in the real world.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma looks like it will share design cues with the new Tundra, as you probably expected.
New taillights, slats beneath the headlights, new grille, boxier fender flares — it pretty much all lines up. Interestingly, though, you do get a bit of carryover in some of the grille shape as well as the headlight assemblies. So, it will still look recognizable as a Tacoma, with a design that’s perhaps more evolutionary than the Tundra is. Mind you, the third-generation N300 Tacoma dates back to 2015 in its current iteration, rather than in the long-ago of 2007…
Here’s what else we know (or have on good authority) so far
To the best of our knowledge, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will ride on the automaker’s TNGA-F platform that also underpins the Tundra and the new Sequoia. The old 3.5-liter 2GR-FKS V6 is on its way out too, replaced by a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill. Most likely, it will be the T24A-series engine found in the updated Highlander. If Toyota maintains the same power levels, we’re looking at 265 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque.
Another route, though it’s a big question mark at this point, is a hybridized version (think “iForce Max” in the new Tundra) of that same 2.4-liter engine. It is currently available in the Lexus RX 500h as well as the new Toyota Crown Hybrid, where the electrification boosts the combined output to at least 340 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.
It’s worth stressing at this point that Toyota has confirmed none of this information at this point. However, offering a more potent option would put the Taco at the front of the pack, while the turbo option alone merely keeps it competitive. At this point, we’re still not sure exactly what the new truck’s interior will look like, though it’s a reasonable assumption that it will draw from Toyota’s new full-size trucks.
More information on the patent
The patent published by the Brazilian patent office (BR 302022003011-2, listed January 24, 2023) only provides the design figures for the new truck. It lists Toyota Motor Corporation as the “depositor” or patent holder, as well as Matthew Niven Sperling, Scott Matthew Roller, Kengo Iwanaga and Yeongmin Kong as the authors of the design mark. Iwanaga is a senior lead designer at Toyota’s Calty Design Research subsidiary, as is Kong.
We’ll have to wait for more concrete information, but what is already common knowledge is what the 2024 Toyota Tacoma faces when it does launch. The new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are already here, while the Ford Ranger is also arriving in the next year or so.
Competition will be fierce, but it’s clearly shaping up to be a watershed year for midsize trucks.
