The 2024 Toyota Tacoma is one of the biggest new launches this year.
That’s all the more reason the automaker is teasing the new Taco to no end, including these tantalizing teasers showing off various bits of what we can expect in the TRD Pro model.
On Instagram Wednesday, Toyota shared two shots with the public at-large: one of the rear wheel and another showing giving us a bit of the suspension. Critically, the teaser confirms that the new truck will indeed pack disc brakes, which we’ve known for the past several months in spy shots. Every once in awhile, though, we remind ourselves that the most recent generation still uses rear drums, so that’s a major buzzworthy shift.
The second photo is more of a foregone conclusion, in that it shows the new Tacoma TRD Pro rocking Fox internal bypass shocks. Not really surprising, but these QS3 shocks should hopefully offer even better ride quality on the rough stuff, while the three-switch system (“Quick Switch 3” is the full name for the feature) allows the driver to more closely tune the shocks to the conditions, like when you’re rock crawling or towing.
One major question surrounding the 2024 model (TRD Pro or otherwise) is what’s hiding under the hood.
The almost-certain consensus is that we’ll see the same 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that’s cropping up across Toyota’s portfolio, from the updated Highlander crossover to the Crown sedan, as well as some Lexus models. We do know the Tacoma’s getting an iForce-Max hybrid option, which may offer up to 340 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.
There’s so much more discussion happening with Toyota’s new midsize truck beyond those items, too, particularly with the new Trailhunter model. The automaker confirmed the overlanding focused variant, though that one gets ARB bumpers and some beefy recovery points. Whether it will also see Fox shocks remains to be seen.
This is just my opinion, but at the moment I slightly doubt it will get exactly the same suspension configuration as the TRD Pro. While the QS3 shocks can no doubt handle off-roading duty just fine (that is what they’re made for), I wonder if the Trailhunter’s rock crawling vibe signals another fit-for-purpose solution. To my mind, Toyota seems to be splitting the top of the Tacoma lineup into two tracks, with one leaning more toward a high-speed desert runner and the other toward slower off-roading that focuses more on articulation. Again, I could be completely wrong on that one — we’ll just have to wait and see.
Fortunately, we shouldn’t have too much longer to wait with all these teasers. Automakers typically start posting about their upcoming launches more frequently when they’re just around the corner, so we should have much more information on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma in just a few weeks.
