SPY PICS: New Tacoma previews next Toyota HiLux

The all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma – the North American sister model to Australia’s next-generation 2025 Toyota HiLux – has been spotted undergoing development testing in Michigan wearing what’s thought to be a downsized Toyota Tundra body and riding on the latest TNGA-F ladder-frame architecture.

For those not familiar with Toyota platforms, it’s the same body-on-frame set-up underpinning the current 300 Series LandCruiser as well as the Tundra full-size pick-up truck, hence the Tundra-esque exterior features (grille, mirrors, side pipes, etc).

Our sources tell us roughly 254-305mm has been lopped out of the Tundra’s wheelbase to create the test mule you see here and – at least for now – it inherits its bigger sibling’s coil-sprung rear-end – in stark contrast to the load-friendly leaf set-up of the current Tacoma (and HiLux).

There’s been no real indication as to what powertrains will motivate the new Tacoma, but forum chatter out of North America has floated the possibility of a new four-cylinder ‘Dynamic Force’ hybrid as well as a fully electric powertrain in addition to a carryover 3.5-litre petrol V6.

While still firmly on the rumour pile for the time being at least, the concept of an electric Tacoma was actually previewed last year via the Toyota Pickup EV show car.

At the time, we commented on how the zero-emission ute blends design elements of both the Tundra and smaller Toyota HiLux “into one Toyota Tacoma-sized EV package”, which in turn fits with the forum chatter suggesting the electric Tacoma will only differ cosmetically in its grille design from the ICE versions.

It remains to be seen what fuel type and induction method the supposed hybrid will employ; whether it be the existing 2.5-litre petrol, the high-performance 2.4-litre turbo or an all-new diesel hybrid.

Regardless, although Toyota Australia doesn’t sell the Tacoma, nor the Tundra or its Sequoia SUV sibling, there’s no reason why the next-gen Tacoma can’t or won’t preview what’s in store for the next-generation HiLux – Australia’s most popular new vehicle for the past five years.

That said, rumour has it the next-gen Tacoma’s production start has been pushed back until December 2023 and given we’re only seeing test mules at the moment rather than dedicated prototypes, it’s fair to assume Toyota is still in the early stages of the testing and development process of its two all-new mid-size metric-tonne utes.

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