The Tacoma Trailhunter.
KONA: Redesigned from the ground up and built upon the TNGA-F global truck platform shared with Tundra and Sequoia, the all-new Tacoma was designed and engineered for the US market.
For its fourth generation, Tacoma uses a new high-strength boxed, steel-ladder frame; adds numerous features that off-road enthusiasts can play with; features an available fully redesigned multi-link coil rear suspension that improves ride and handling; and offers two powerful and efficient turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains including a top-of-the-line i-FORCE MAX hybrid producing 326hp and a massive 630Nm of torque.
Tacoma also introduced the world to Toyota’s all-new Trailhunter grade, first revealed at the 2022 SEMA show as a Trailhunter concept, that’s a purpose-built overlanding rig available right off the dealer lot.
The all-new 2024 Tacoma will go on sale later this year with i-FORCE MAX models arriving in early 2024. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale dates.
Design and development
Toyota’s North American-based CALTY Design Center located in Newport Beach, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan led the design efforts for the new Tacoma, as they did with the Tundra and Sequoia that launched last year.
“Our primary design goal for the all-new Tacoma was to be authentic to the way our customers use their trucks for rugged outdoor fun,” said Kevin Hunter, president, CALTY Design Research.
“We looked at our truck DNA and the Toyota Baja race trucks for inspiration to capture the extreme spirit of offroad adventure. High lift, big tires, slim body, and a powerful athletic stance define the iconic Tacoma look, referred to as ‘Tacoma-ness’.”
The CALTY team of designers focused on the theme of a “Badass Adventure Machine” when defining the essence of the new Tacoma.
This refers to Tacoma’s engineered toughness along with its athletic attitude.
The design team strives for Toyota trucks to have a family resemblance, each with unique personalities defined by each one’s purpose.
For Tacoma, its narrow body and wide upper grille are a nod to the original HiLux, with features like the aggressive skid plates expressing the extreme ruggedness of Tacoma.
Other signature design elements include the high-mount headlamps, side functional air intakes, hexagonal grille motif, as well as integrated roof and tailgate spoilers.
Engineering research and development was conducted at Toyota Technical Centers in Michigan, Arizona, and California.
The collective engineering teams embraced the “Tacoma-ness” concept and worked to develop the next-generation Tacoma as an extremely capable multipurpose vehicle that can go almost anywhere.
Improvements were made across all grades. The team enhanced Tacoma’s off-road capability, from severe rock crawling to high-speed desert racing.
As a result, Tacomas will perform in widely varied environments, on road and off. This includes everything from a luxurious night out in the Limited grade or traversing Black Bear Pass in the Tacoma TRD Off-Road that is more capable than ever.
Suspensions tuned for each grade
Tacoma now features suspensions tuned specifically to each grade. For instance, TRD Sport has red TRD sport-tuned shocks for a more responsive feel.
The TRD Off-Road grade is equipped with monotube Bilstein remote reservoir shocks for extended wheel travel and greater heat dissipation and includes an end stop control valve (ESCV) that provides increased damping force as the suspension comes closer to full bound stroke.
TRD Pro comes fitted with FOX’s new QS3 three-way adjustable internal bypass shocks with remote reservoirs for improved high speed off-road performance and FOX Internal Floating Piston (IFP) rear bump stops to improve bottom out feel.
Trailhunter includes new Old Man Emu (OME) 4×4 Suspension by ARB that is tuned for optimum levels of off-road control and load carrying capability.
Limited grade features a new Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system that constantly adjusts damping forces based on changing road conditions. The linear-solenoid-type AVS system features built-in actuators in the front and rear shock absorbers to continuously change damping force based on road conditions to give the new Tacoma a smooth and luxurious ride.
Maximum towing capacity for Tacoma is rated at 2,948kg on SR5 i-FORCE and TRD PreRunner XtraCab grades, and maximum payload increases to 775kg on TRD Off-Road.
Tacoma will offer two powertrains using a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.
For entry-level SR grades, this engine produces 228hp and 329Nm of torque.
For all other grades, output increases to 278hp and 429Nm of torque when paired with the new eight-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with intelligence (ECT-i).
A six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT2) with automatic rev matching and anti-stall technology is available. Manual transmission models produce 270hp and 420Nm of torque.
Tacoma’s i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain
New to the mid-size, body-on-frame pickup segment is Tacoma’s i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, the most powerful powertrain ever offered on Tacoma.
Available on TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and standard on the TRD Pro and Trailhunter halo models, i-FORCE MAX pairs the 2.4-litre engine with a 48-hp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed transmission feeding off a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack that creates a total system output of 326hp and a whopping 630Nm of torque, nearly doubling the torque output of the current-gen truck with the V-6 engine.
When equipped with i-FORCE MAX, Tacoma can ascend an 8-percent interstate grade without the need to downshift, making long road trips more pleasant than ever in a Tacoma. Fuel economy estimates for all powertrains will be announced closer to their on-sale dates.
Tacomas with rear-wheel drive feature an automatic limited-slip differential (Auto LSD), and four-wheel-drive models have an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case with high/low range along with Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) and an automatic limited-slip differential (Auto LSD).
An electronic locking rear differential is standard on TRD PreRunner, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter grades. The new and luxurious Limited grade now features a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a center locking differential on i-FORCE MAX models.
Ultimate adventure machine
Tacoma’s legendary off-road capability is taken to the next level for its new generation, making it the ultimate adventure machine. An all-new available front stabilizer bar disconnect increases flex at the push of a button.
With the front stabilizer bar disconnected, Tacoma’s articulation increases by 10 percent compared to the previous-gen truck. The electronic stabilizer bar disconnect will even be compatible with Toyota-approved lift kits.
Tacoma has up to 33.8-degree approach, 23.5-degree breakover, and 25.7-degree departure angles on TRD Pro without the tow package. Running ground clearance maxes out at 11 inches on TRD Pro.
And with tons of available cameras installed on the new Tacoma, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter drivers can view potential obstacles that are looming on the trail via the Multi-Terrain Monitor that can display crisply on the available 14-inch touchscreen.
For the sketchiest of situations, Tacoma offers standard front and optional rear recovery hooks and underbody protection.
Multi-Terrain Select, which is now functional in both 4WD-High and 4WD-Low, offers adjustable settings to help control wheel spin on a variety of terrain such as Mud, Dirt, and Sand.
Tacoma also adopts the new, significantly quieter CRAWL Control function that acts as a low-speed, off-road cruise control that allows the driver to focus on steering while the system maintains one of five selectable speeds.
When traction is extremely limited, the available electronically activated locking rear differential can help split power 50/50 to the rear wheels. Downhill Assist Control is another off-road feature available and helps the driver navigate descents by limiting the speed of the vehicle.
Manual-equipped Tacomas get a standard clutch start cancel that allows the truck to start in gear, which means the driver doesn’t have to press the clutch when facing challenging off-road driving scenes when starting.
All-new Trailhunter
Tacoma introduces the all-new Trailhunter grade to the lineup of rugged Toyota Trucks.
Toyota has long been a top choice for overlanders due to its legendary quality, durability, and reliability, and now enthusiasts can get a factory-developed overlander straight from Toyota.
To help bring Trailhunter to life, Toyota worked with renowned Australian-based ARB to co-develop Old Man Emu (OME) position sensitive 2.5-inch forged monotube shocks with rear external piggyback style remote reservoirs, a steel rear bumper, robust rear recovery points, and a bed utility bar with removeable MOLLE panels.
ARB engineering even worked on-site at Toyota alongside the project development team to co-develop Trailhunter.
With either 5- or 6-foot bed Double Cab configurations available, serious overlanders can take their Trailhunters to the next level with available light- or heavy-duty versions of a full ARB bed rack to support additional gear like rooftop tents, canopies, or a camp shower.
The OME shocks along with the 33-inch Goodyear Territory R/T tires boost up Trailhunter an additional two inches in the front and one and a half inches in the rear.
A high-clearance trail exhaust tip is also standard along with a low-profile high-mount Trailhunter Air Intake that is routed up the passenger-side A pillar to source cleaner air to the i-FORCE MAX.
Trailhunter protection includes rock rails and a multitude of hot-stamped high strength steel skid plates for serious off-the-grid-adventure capabilities straight from the factory.
Trailhunter is also equipped with a bronze-colored “TOYOTA” heritage-inspired grille with an integrated 20-inch LED light bar that’s complemented by white/yellow color switching RIGID LED fog lamps.
Lighting in the Trailhunter’s bed is triangulated to help avoid dark spots, and integrated bed side scene lights help illuminate the area surrounding the bed for setting up camp at night.
A powerful 2400W AC inverter provides juice to two locations in the cabin and the rear deck where both 12V and USBs can also be found to power other devices such as an ARB Fridge Freezer.
Trailhunter also comes pre-wired for accessories with three auxiliary toggle switches on the dashboard.
In addition to Toyota Genuine parts and accessories, additional accessories are available through the recently announced Associated Accessory Products program (AAP) for customers to customise their Tacoma Trailhunter exactly the way they want straight from Toyota’s participating dealerships.
The AAP ecosystem will continue to evolve over time and currently includes over 100 accessories such as off-road recovery gear, rack attachment brackets for storage gear, outdoor sporting equipment carriers, and more.
These products can also be conveniently rolled into customer’s monthly payments, and they aren’t exclusive to Trailhunter, either, making accessorizing Tacoma through Toyota easier than ever.
Go fast with TRD Pro
While Trailhunter is specifically developed for off-the-grid overlanding adventures, Tacoma TRD Pro elevates its proven go-fast, desert running attributes for its newest generation.
Red aluminum front TRD upper control arms optimize front geometry and reduce unsprung weight, while Fox internal bypass 2.5-inch manual modal Quick Switch 3 (QS3) shocks can be adjusted to three different settings via dials on the shock bodies to tune compression damping.
Built around the new multilink rear suspension, FOX Internal Floating Piston (IFP) bump stops can help knock the edge off some of the gnarliest terrain.
For a more menacing stance than ever before, TRD Pro sits two inches higher in the front and an inch and a half in the rear and is three inches wider than a Tacoma SR5. Black flow-formed TRD wheels are wrapped in 33-inch Goodyear Territory R/T tyres.
TRD Pro’s standard i-FORCE MAX engine breathes more efficiently courtesy of a TRD performance air intake and TRD cat-back dual tipped exhaust.
A new integrated LED light bar works in conjunction with the LED headlights to optimize beam pattern aiming for balanced light output with significant range, and a set of RIGID white LED fog lamps increase visibility during inclement weather.
TRD Pro also gets a high-clearance ARB rear metal bumper with red recovery hooks and an aluminum TRD front skid plate.
Debuting exclusively on the new TRD Pro is a segment-first IsoDynamic Performance Seat that helps provide a smooth, confidence-inspiring ride for those in the driver and front passenger seats.
The goal of this patent-pending feature is to stabilise the driver’s field of vision to improve focus, comfort, and reduce fatigue while on rugged trails.
The IsoDynamic Performance Seat uses an air-over-oil shock absorber system allowing for vertical and lateral seat movement simultaneously to dampen body movement and stabilize the head and neck to keep alignment with the spine.
This dampening effect is tunable based on body mass and occupant preference and can be bypassed, if desired, via levers on the seatbacks.
Latest tech inside
The all-new Tacoma is filled with the latest technology and information screens that bring significant updates to the cabin.
A new 8-inch or available 14-inch multimedia touchscreen displays Toyota’s latest Audio Multimedia system that debuted on the 2022 Tundra pickup and is designed and engineered by Toyota’s Texas-based Connected Technologies team.
The system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and pairs well with the available Qi wireless charging pad with enhanced power output.
A USB-C data and charging port is integrated on the right side of the display, and dual USB-C charging ports are included in the front row and available for the rear passengers. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with four different styles is standard on higher grades while a 7-inch gauge cluster is standard on lower grades.
Standard on all grades is a Smart Key System with push-button start. With an active Remote Connect trial or subscription, an available Digital Key connects with compatible smartphones to allow vehicle entry, tailgate access, and vehicle starting (4G network dependent).
The Digital Key can also be remotely shared with others to give more control over vehicle access rather than giving someone the physical key. Additionally, a Smart Card key is available, which is a credit card-sized smart key that allows the driver to carry their key easily and conveniently with them wherever they go.
Tacoma makes the most of its cabin for this newest generation.
Petrol models have three times more storage space under the rear seat compared to the current-gen truck, and the rear seatback can also fold down flat for additional loading surface.
A shelf is integrated into the instrument panel for the passenger to put a phone or other small items, and MOLLE panels on the center console and door panels allow for even more versatile storage.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0
All 2024 Tacoma models come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, Toyota’s suite of active safety and convenience systems. New-to-Tacoma TSS enhancements are made possible by system sensors with improved detection capability. This suite of features includes:
> Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
> Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
> Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
> Lane Tracing Assist
> Road Sign Assist
> Automatic High Beams
> Proactive Driving Assist
Proactive Driving Assist is new to Toyota Safety Sense.
When system operating conditions are met, using the vehicle’s camera and radar, this system is designed to provide gentle braking into curves or gentle braking and/or steering to help support driving tasks such as distance control between a preceding vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist.
Proactive Driving Assist is not a substitute for the Pre-Collision System and operates in different circumstances.
Tacoma will be offered in numerous grades and configurations for its new generation.
Two cab styles are available with either a 5- or 6-foot bed: a four-door Double Cab and a new two-door XtraCab with clever storage features behind the front two seats.
Tacoma will offer a wide colour palette that includes Supersonic Red, Blue Crush Metallic, Underground, Wind Chill Pearl, Solar Octane, Celestial Silver Metallic, Black, Ice Cap, and Bronze Oxide.
A new TRD Pro-exclusive colour for the 2024 model year will be announced this summer.
