The 2024 Tacoma may be the most popular midsize truck yet. As brands like Chevy and Nissan refresh the 2023 Colorado and 2022 Frontier, it’s still in its third generation. And that means this pickup truck is starting to feel a little outdated. Little by little, though, Toyota has been slowly dropping hints about the 2024 Tacoma.
Will the 2024 Tacoma bring electric cars?
Since the Toyota is a midsize sedan, it was rumored that the Tacoma could go electric. Toyota has been acquiring the Tacoma electric car, but it’s still not clear if that’s something we should expect. This brand has been notably slow to roll out all-electric cars. Instead, Toyota has long embraced hybrid technology.
The 2024 Tacoma will ride on the TNGA-F platform. This is Toyota’s new global body-on-frame architecture, which is used by many of the brand’s products. This platform is very versatile, from Toyota Hilux to Lexus LX. And it opens the door to a range of different powertrains.
What would be especially cool is if it borrowed the engine from the current Tundra. The twin-turbo V6 engine in that truck produces 389 horsepower. So, Toyota probably has plans to fine-tune it and put it in its midsize truck. As it is, the V6 in the 2023 Tacoma is noticeably less powerful than the 310-hp V6 found in the Nissan Frontier.
Will the 2024 Tacoma still have a manual transmission?
As more and more trucks lose the ability to manual shifts, it’s fair to wonder if the fourth-generation Tacoma will still have a manual transmission. One ray of hope is the fact that Toyota has spent a lot of resources developing a new standard transmission for the Supra.
If I were a betting man, I’d bet we still see a manual Tacoma with the new generation. Although it looks very similar to the current generation, it will likely be limited to TRD models. If you want to line up your gears with the 2023 Tacoma, you should look to the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro Tacomas for a six-speed manual.
Toyota is taking its time with its midsize truck
The Tacoma has been in production since 1995, and the third generation has been around since 2015. Almost 10 years later, perhaps it’s time for Toyota to bring its midsize truck to a new generation.
This is especially true if the Japanese automaker wants to keep up with other vehicles in this segment. So, we hope to see that sooner rather than later.
