Toyota has unveiled its refreshed Tacoma mid-size pickup at the Chicago Auto Show with new standard tech and a redesigned grille.
As Toyota prepares to duke it out with the reborn Ford Ranger, they’ve decided to do what most truckmakers do when presented with stiff competition: sweeten the deal by adding more standard features on lower trims. It might mean a little less profit, but it’ll keep the Ranger from stealing too much of the Tacoma’s commanding market share.
Most of the new tech is enjoyed on Tacoma trims SR5 and above. So long as you’re not a base SR, you get a standard 10-way adjustable power driver’s seat and a new 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. The SR trim sticks with the old 7-incher but receives a minor software update.
All Tacomas now come with Android Auto, Apple Carplay, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, new grille and wheel designs, and new LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running and fog lamps for trims that get them.
Starting with the top-of-the-line TRD Pro trim, new sequential LED headlights replace the old designs along with new 16-inch alloy wheels that are 4.2 lbs lighter than the previous version. Panoramic View Monitor and Multi Terrain Monitor are now both standard, which allows the driver to keep a close eye on the terrain surrounding the Tacoma as it crawls off-road.
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Revised tuning for the TRD Pro’s Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks and springs will also help with off-roading.
Both the TRD Off-Road and TRD Sport trims get passenger smart key entry, chrome taillamp inserts, and new LED fog lamps, while the Off-Road can get the same terrain monitoring system as the TRD Pro for an added fee. The Limited trim gets the same LED sequential headlights as the TRD Pro but has 18-inch alloys instead of 16-inch.
All Tacomas come with Toyota Safety Sense, which includes pre-collision and emergency braking, lane departure and sway warning, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.
Pricing and availability were not announced, but expect to hear more later this summer.