When the Toyota Tacoma was introduced in 1995, it was the replacement for the HiLux or better known here in the US market as just a Toyota Pickup truck. Over the generations, Toyota's smallest truck has evolved - it's hardly little anymore, having grown and matured in its years and taking styling cues from its big brother, the Toyota Tundra.
2024 was the year of the all-new Tacoma, replacing the generation that had been around since 2016. This new Tacoma gets an all-new chassis, suspension and drivetrain. In fact, this fourth generation Tacoma is the first ground-up redesign since 2005. Let's look at the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma.
The exterior design of the new Tacoma is chunky and mean looking, but attractive with styling bits and pieces borrowed from the Tundra. It is a little larger than the previous Tacoma, due to wider fender flares and a slightly longer wheelbase and it is available as either an extended cab, which Toyota calls the XtraCab or a crew cab (Double Cab). As before, the Double Cab comes with either a 5- or 6-foot bed.
Under the hood, the old 4.0 V6 is history, replaced by a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine four-banger, which is available in four different configurations, depending on trim level and transmission type. And about those trim levels, well, there are eight of them, and they each really define the characteristics of the Tacoma.
The base Tacoma is the SR. Meant as a simple work truck, it arrives making 228 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard but four-wheel drive is optional. The SR5, a nice step up from the SR, the TRD PreRunner, a desert version of the Tacoma, the TRD Sport, the sporty model, the TRD Off-Road and luxurious Limited get a more powerful version of this engine, coming in at 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque when paired with the eight-speed automatic. A six-speed manual transmission (yes! one can still be had) is offered with this engine, but power drops to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Optional on the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited is Toyota's i-Force Max. Using an electric motor with the turbocharged engine, this hybrid setup makes 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. It is standard on the Tacoma TRD Pro and top-of-the-line Trailhunter.
Pricing for this new Tacoma starts at $35,200 for the SR and can go well past $60,000. The tester, a Trailhunter, has an MSRP of $64,944.
As the Trailhunter, the Tacoma takes on the persona of the ultimate off-roader. Sure, we are all familiar with TRD, Off-Road, and Pro, which add bits and pieces to make the Tacoma a better off-road vehicle. The Trailhunter, on the other hand, looks like a cross between a big toy and an overland vehicle. Compared to other Tacoma's, the Trailhunter has a high-mount air snorkel intake system running up the passenger-side A-pillar, 18-inch bronze alloy wheels, an ARB modular bed utility rack and lots of auxiliary lights. What you may not see are the skid plates, ARB Old Man Emu suspension dampers, underbody armor, and an off-road exhaust that puts the muffler and tailpipe just ahead of the rear axle, underneath the truck s bed.
The Trailhunter comes only as a double cab, and inside that cab is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster (standard on TRD Off-Road models and up - others get a 7.0-inch cluster) and a 14.0-inch center screen. A heads-up display, an upgraded stereo with a removeable JBL FLEX portable Bluetooth speaker and heated and cooled seats round out the notable interior options.
The interior is rugged-looking with big knobs and a thick shifter, all giving in to a big-truck atmosphere. The front seats benefit from a raised seating position compared to the previous generation, and there is also more headroom. The rear seats aren't especially roomy, but I find that to be the case with all trucks in this segment.
Unfortunately, I couldn t take the Tacoma Trailhunter off-road, but in the concrete jungle, it sure felt as much at home as if it were on an expedition. While no rocket ship, the power and torque the i-Force Max offers is plenty enough, with the ability to hit 60 mph in about 7 seconds. The tricked-out suspension and huge tires have no problem taking on the bumps, ruts and obstacles thrown at it.
If the Trailhunter looks are a bit much for your taste, but you still want some impressive off-road manners, the TRD Off-Road or the TRD Pro may better suit your style.
Toyota trucks have always been known to be tough and reliable. And for a while the Tacoma was the only entry in the mid-size truck market. Today, with the likes of the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon twins as well as the Nissan Frontier, there are choices for mid-size truck buyers. But leading the pack continues to be the Toyota Tacoma.