Two trucks for the price of (developing) one...
The next-generation Toyota Tacoma and Tundra pickups will ride on the same, new platform the company is calling F1. They could see production as early as 2021. This move follows Toyota’s previous of building almost everything on its newish TNGA architecture including the Prius, Corolla, C-HR, Camry, Rav4 and more. Obviously, this saves them a boatload of money on development.
The Tundra is currently built at the company’s plant near San Antonio. The Tacoma is also built there, as well as its pair of plants in Mexico.
Auto News notes that Toyota’s pickups are the current elder statesmen in the pickup world. The Tundra dates back to 2007 with updates introduced in 2014. The Tacoma is from 2015 with updates coming next year. Tundra sales are down through the first three months of 2019, but Tacoma sales are way up, making March the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.
The important question, Stephanie Brinley, senior automotive analyst for IHS Markit, posits to AN is “can you make the Tundra as big as it needs to be, while keeping the Tacoma as small as it needs to be?”
"Toyota is never going to see Detroit 3 volumes out of Tundra," Brinley said. "They don't need to beat them; they just need to build something that makes customers happy while meeting internal volume expectations and profitability targets Toyota wants."
The new platform will allow for electrification as well, which is now coming for America’s most popular models. Expect both 48-volt systems like the Ram, as well as other mild hybridization.
"We're looking at what makes the most sense,” said Mike Sweers to AN, lead engineer for the Tundra, Tacoma, 4Runner midsize SUV and Sequoia, “not only for 2025 but for out to 2035 and beyond, and what is the market demand for it.”
SOURCE
The next-generation Toyota Tacoma and Tundra pickups will ride on the same, new platform the company is calling F1. They could see production as early as 2021. This move follows Toyota’s previous of building almost everything on its newish TNGA architecture including the Prius, Corolla, C-HR, Camry, Rav4 and more. Obviously, this saves them a boatload of money on development.
The Tundra is currently built at the company’s plant near San Antonio. The Tacoma is also built there, as well as its pair of plants in Mexico.
Auto News notes that Toyota’s pickups are the current elder statesmen in the pickup world. The Tundra dates back to 2007 with updates introduced in 2014. The Tacoma is from 2015 with updates coming next year. Tundra sales are down through the first three months of 2019, but Tacoma sales are way up, making March the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.
The important question, Stephanie Brinley, senior automotive analyst for IHS Markit, posits to AN is “can you make the Tundra as big as it needs to be, while keeping the Tacoma as small as it needs to be?”
"Toyota is never going to see Detroit 3 volumes out of Tundra," Brinley said. "They don't need to beat them; they just need to build something that makes customers happy while meeting internal volume expectations and profitability targets Toyota wants."
The new platform will allow for electrification as well, which is now coming for America’s most popular models. Expect both 48-volt systems like the Ram, as well as other mild hybridization.
"We're looking at what makes the most sense,” said Mike Sweers to AN, lead engineer for the Tundra, Tacoma, 4Runner midsize SUV and Sequoia, “not only for 2025 but for out to 2035 and beyond, and what is the market demand for it.”
SOURCE
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