When it comes to trucks and SUVs, Toyota has a tendency to hang on a single generation for a long time. For instance, the Land Cruiser 200 hung around for over a decade, while the Land Cruiser Prado 150 Series is still going after 14 years. That brings us neatly to the Toyota Tacoma.
First things first, the Tacoma is not the North American version of the Hilux. It doesn’t ride on the IMV platform, and is based on the Prado and 4Runner. That means this truck is also about 14 years old by now. However, there is a new generation coming soon, and Toyota has given the world a small glimpse of it.
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Okay, so it’s literally just a silhouette at the moment, but it means Toyota is gearing up for its launch soon. Its debut can either be in a month or two, or Toyota can surprise us all by unveiling it in a few weeks. Either way, it’s big news for everyone, even for countries that don’t get the Tacoma. That’s because a new Tacoma means the next-gen Prado mgiht be just around the corner. Not only that, the Tacoma might also serve as design inspiration for the next-generation Hilux.
The Tacoma will ride on the TNGA-F platform that currently sees service in the Land Cruiser, Sequioa, and Tundra. And now that the new Tundra is coming, that means the new-gen Prado will use the same architecture since it has been that way for about 20 years. With that, we can expect the new Prado to be larger, be more refined, and be more capable than the outgoing model.
That’s great news, but what about the Hilux? There’s also a chance it might use the TNGA-F chassis for the new generation. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that Toyota also has another platform called the IMV-0. It’s still unknown which chassis the Hilux will use, but reports say that we can expect the all-new model around 2025.
But what is more likely here is that the Hilux will get some design cues from its North American cousin. A few months ago, spy photos of the new-gen Tacoma surfaced on the internet.
The Tacoma gets a few cues from the much larger Tundra, but its headlights and grille get its unique treatment. What we do see are small vents just below the headlights, something we might see in the future Hilux. As for the rear, it’s more angular than the outgoing Tacoma, again getting some cues from the Tundra. We can expect this to be softened a little bit for the Hilux.
So even though the Tacoma isn’t and likely will never be sold here officially, this update is significant nonetheless. Toyota has an exciting couple of months and years ahead of it, and we’re all looking forward to the brand’s all-new trucks and SUVs.
