The truck segment in America is among the most competitive and most sought after following modern-day crossover and sport utility vehicles. The Ford F-150 has led the way in sales figures for the bulk of the existence of pick-up trucks. When it comes to viable alternatives to a proper pick-up truck, the Toyota Tundra comes to mind for its proven track record on ruggedness and uncompromised reliability. For the 2022 model year, the Toyota Tundra gets a full redesign and anticipation from many fans to deliver on the goods that they have been asking for during its 20-plus years of existence.
The details of the new 2022 Toyota Tundra have slowly leaked out of Toyota corporate for many weeks through some forced situations where certain automotive outlets couldn’t keep certain images secret for long. To keep up with the competition, the new 2022 Tundra is slated to be bolder with a nicer interior featuring the proper large-screen tech that we want, in addition to having the performance chops to get the job done that’s usually thrown at a full-size pickup truck.
See Also: 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Review & Test Drive
After the release of the official first photo of the 2022 Tundra, Toyota started to play a little game of giving us teaser images, which we have drawn many conclusions from in the past month. Those conclusions lead us to the idea of the Tundra offering a hybrid powertrain in one or more of its trim levels. Additionally, the new 2022 Tundra will offer a new V6 engine in the form of a 3.4-liter twin-turbo unit, which is currently found in a version of the Land Cruise that we don’t get to see here in the USA. In the new global Land Cruiser, the engine makes 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. It looks like the use of this V6 will be paired with electrification for a hybrid setup dubbed the iForce MAX, which would be a competitor to new trucks like the Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid. The current V8 in the Tundra has 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet for comparison, which will be overshadowed by the new V6 setup. A newer transmission will also make its way to do away with the old 6-speed automatic.
The 2022 Tundra will have many firsts, including a new coil-spring setup in the rear in place of the current generation’s leaf springs, which takes direct aim at RAM trucks with their rear coil springs. The coil springs in the back will enable a smoother and more compliant ride quality and potentially benefit a hard-core off-roading TRD variation of the Tundra, which we see in the official images here. The use of FOX off-roading dampers is also something that we’ve seen before, but we expect the new setup to be even better for a myriad of on and off-road uses.
The exterior styling of the new Tundra looks to be aggressive in the TRD version that they have shown us. The big grille is a central focal point along with LED headlights and an OEM LED lightbar. The blacked-out TRD wheels look to be shod with aggressive off-roading tires.
The interior of the new 2022 Tundra will take a page from consumer’s wants and needs in a full-size pickup truck. The new infotainment system in the Tundra will have a large screen to compete with the 12-inch units found in upper trim levels of the competition, as well as wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, heads-up display, all the expected active safety features, and several new off-roading drive modes. Also, a new panoramic sunroof option will be available along with the familiar rear roll-down window as Toyota has confirmed in one of the several teaser photos here.
The new 2022 Toyota Tundra is slated to arrive by the end of this year (2021).
