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The 2022 Toyota Tundra is the truck to go for if you want something solid, reliable, and durable that comes with a can-do spirit. That said, over the years, the Tundra has become dated in looks and even in tech, be it inside or outside.
The last overhaul it received happened way back in the mid-2000s, so clearly, this Toyota pickup needed a pick-me-up, pun intended, and it seems Toyota has finally delivered on its promise. While it's cool to follow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage, Toyota did tarry on with the Tundra a little too much.
Since the Tundra could not catch up with the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and Ram pickups of today, Toyota has finally gone ahead and started to reveal the third generation of the Tundra. Are we excited? You bet, and this is what we know, till now, about the 2022 Toyota Tundra.
The current trend in pickup trucks is to drop the V8 and opt for a more powerful and less gas-consuming V6, and this also makes it easier to go the hybrid way.
Toyota has released statements where it promises to push towards hybrid and electric power for its vehicles in a big way, and for any carmaker to survive in the U.S., this is but the natural big step. So the 2022 Toyota Tundra may drop the V8 for the hot potato that it has become and go for something “smaller.”
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Just recently, Toyota teased its customers with an up-close and cropped picture of the truck’s new iForce Max engine that does not show much but shows just enough to let the guesswork begin.
The engine cover has three cut-outs on either side and this is usually how automakers show the number of cylinders, leading to the popular belief that the 2022 Toyota Tundra comes bearing a V6. Much like the Land Cruiser.
In the Land Cruiser, Toyota’s new V6, the same engine that has us all excited, makes 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, and these figures are way more than the current Toyota Tundra’s 5.7-liter V8, which accounts for 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft torque.
The iForce MAX teaser picture also shows orange cables next to the V6, which is a sure shot indication that even if the base engine is not a hybrid, there will be a hybrid twin-turbo V6 option coming up.
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The Toyota Tundra is not a very expensive truck perhaps because it comes with dated looks and tech. The current Toyota Tundra model tops out with the Platinum trim, starting at $52,000. This is below the average price of a top-trimmed pickup.
Still, with a new model coming up, and with a hybrid option as well, it's time for the 2022 Toyota Tundra to increase its prices, and this pickup may fall in line with the pricing of America’s bestseller, the Ford F-150, that tops out at about $70,000.
Toyota has also teased its fans with a single picture of the new pickup truck’s interior and we are hooked. It shows the top of the 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro’s dash, much like the TRD Pro model picture that Toyota released earlier.
We can see dual JBL speakers mounted inside the A-pillars with a red stripe on the steering wheel, likely to be exclusive to the TRD Pro. What really gets your attention is that large center-mounted touchscreen with Apple CarPlay on it. It seems the Tundra has finally gone hi-tech!
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The current model of the Toyota Tundra can tow 10,200 pounds and has a 1,730-pound payload rating, which is good enough to get the job done. However, the competition now offers better numbers and Toyota has changed the Tundra radically as well.
This is why instead of five-lug wheels, the new 2022 Toyota Tundra shows six-lug wheels, which clearly hints at a girded-up payload and tow rating. The numbers have not been revealed but hopefully, they will match the competition if not surpass it.
The 2022 Toyota Tundra is also likely to be the first pickup to be riding on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, for body-on-frame trucks and the same will be extended to Toyota’s other vehicles such as the Sequoia, Tacoma, and the 4Runner.
The TNGA platform is likely to come equipped with lighter but stronger construction materials for better ride quality as well as safety. Also, like most other modern pickups, the Tundra is likely to make the shift from leaf-spring to coil-spring suspension.
The all-white Toyota Tundra TRD Pro picture revealed by Toyota comes riding on 32.5-inch front tired wearing 285/65 R18 Falken Wildpeak A/T AT3W all-terrain tires. The blacked-out wheels are by BBS with dual-tone hubcaps and six blacked-out lug nuts as well.
The current TRD Pro in comparison rides on 32.1-inch tires, which are 255/70 R18s. So while we do not know what the base 2022 Toyota Tundra will ride on, it has to be something bigger and better, for sure.
The 2021 Toyota Tundra CrewMax has an overall Marginal safety score on IIHS, which does not make for a very safety-conscious vehicle. Of course, because the Tundra lags in tech, the current model lacks many safety features as well.
Obviously, the 2022 Toyota Tundra is going to come brimming with safety features (we hope) as well as a driver assist suite that makes life easy for most pickup truck drivers today, including stuff that helps them with the tailgate, loading, towing, and reversing.
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The fans of the Tundra have been waiting a very, very long time for Toyota to gear up and launch a new hi-tech Tundra. The teasers are in and fan excitement, as well as impatience, is growing as many feel Toyota should stop with the marketing and just release the 2022 Toyota Tundra already with buyers ready to “throw money at the screen.”
We guess we should be seeing the actual debut within a few weeks, and the pickup trucks are likely to start rolling into the dealership at the end of 2021. Watch this space for more on the 2022 Toyota Tundra.
