New Toyota Tundra revealed

It’s been spied, leaked and teased numerous times and now the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra has been fully and officially revealed.

We already knew the new US-built dual-cab 4x4 pick-up would downsize from V8 to twin-turbo V6 power, so the big news here is the option of an electrified hybrid version of the same 3.5-litre engine and the retention of a five-tonne-plus towing capacity.

The bad news is Toyota says it continues to study the feasibility of factory right-hand drive production of its full-size pick-up, which remains under consideration for Australia.

Toyota Australia has always said it is keen to enter the booming full-size US pick-up market Down Under, but that would only happen if it could establish a business case for factory RHD production – rather than local ‘remanufacture’, as is the case with chief rivals like the RAM, Silverado and Ford F-Series.

“Toyota Australia has seen the popularity of the full-size pick-up segment in Australia grow in the last few years and it is a segment that has been of interest to us and to our customers,” said Toyota Australia in a media statement today.

“There are currently no plans for the new model Tundra to be produced [in right-hand-drive] from the factory. However this is something that we will continue to study.”

Pricing for the 2022 Toyota Tundra is yet to be announced, but if it became the first global full-size pick-up (built in both LHD and RHD) it would certainly undercut the circa-$100,000 starting prices of the latest generation of RAM and Silverado trucks.

And despite downsizing from V8 to V6 power, the new Tundra appears to be competitive in other key metrics too.

Chief among them is towing, with Toyota claiming a maximum braked towing capacity of 12,000lb (5443kg), while payload is par for the light-duty full-size pick-up course at 1940lb (880kg).

Three body styles and three tray lengths will be available in the US, the latter measuring about 1.7, 2.0 and 2.5 metres long and featuring a tailgate that can be opened via the key fob or a button near the tail-light.

Based on a new ladder frame closely related to the new Toyota LandCruiser’s, the Tundra employs multi-link coil spring rear suspension (rather than leaf springs) with twin-tube shock absorbers standard all round.

Fox dampers – as seen in the Ford F-150 and Ranger Raptor – and a 28mm (1.1-inch) ride height increase are reserved for the TRD Pro version.

Perhaps the biggest news is under the bonnet, where a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 similar to the one seen in the new LandCruiser in other markets produces 290kW of power and 649Nm of torque.

Also as per the 300 Series, it’s matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard, as is the hybridised version of the same engine, which increases outputs to 325kW/790Nm.

Dubbed iForce Max, the Tundra’s hybrid powertrain incorporates a 288-volt nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery under the rear passenger seats to power an electric motor that boosts responsiveness above about 30km/h and delivers the lion’s share of torque at low speeds.

The 2022 Tundra also makes big advances in terms of safety and infotainment technology, which in premium variants includes huge 14-inch multimedia screen, 360-degree camera and digital instrument cluster.

However, all variants will come standard with Toyota’s latest infotainment system software and latest suite of safety features including speed sign recognition.