The Toyota Tacoma was introduced in 1995 as the replacement of the very successful and by-now cult favorite Hilux, which stood for High Luxury. As compared to the Hilux, the Tacoma came with better engineering and excelled in just about all aspects, be it handling, comfort, safety as well as ride quality; the hallmark of Toyota.

That said; the Hilux was more rugged and bore greater payload capacities. But the Tacoma was designed specifically for the US and Canadian markets, knowing that for many in this side of the world, a pickup truck wasn’t just a workhorse but more of a personal vehicle, sometimes even doubling up as the family car.

In doing so, the Toyota Tacoma, a Japanese-made truck became as American as the Detroit three offerings: the Ford F-Series, the Chevy Silverado, and the RAM trucks; and the 2020 version delighted, as always.

It's been 25 years of the Toyota Tacoma from then to now, so let’s have a look at the very first generation, a game-changer in its own right.

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The History Of Toyota Trucks In The US

Toyota’s First Trucks Started To Trickle Into The US In The ‘60s With The First One Named, Stout
via BringaTrailer

Toyota’s first trucks started to trickle into the US in the ‘60s with the first one named, Stout. It wasn’t all that successful but that did not make Toyota give up. Instead, Toyota replaced it with the Hilux in the late ‘60s itself and it became an instant hit, so much so it was simply known as the Toyota pickup.

The Hilux came in 1968, and at the time was powered by a 1.5-liter inline-four cylinder that made 76 horsepower. It sounds weak, silly even, but it was the ‘60s, and this was the average for trucks at the time. Over time, the power got better, the looks got better but the Hilux always remained what it was at launch: a basic pickup truck that was a reliable and inexpensive workhorse.

In 1976, the Hilux nameplate was officially retired and so the Toyota pickup came to be known as just that, the pickup from Toyota. The Hilux retained its name elsewhere although, and it's still sold in various parts of the world as the Hilux. It's only in North America that it was succeeded by the Tacoma in 1995, where it remains at the top of its game.

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1995: A Brand New Era

Black Toyota Tacoma
via Pinterest

In the ‘90s, it was clear to most of the automobile manufacturers in the world that in America, there was a pickup and SUV wave. Small and compact cars were still not in demand and when it came to sedans, it was only the muscle ones that were still valued.

The pickup truck was now being considered more than just a workhorse and became a lifestyle vehicle of choice for many. So Toyota withdrew the Hilux/Pickup and introduced the Tacoma, aimed towards people who drove a pickup as their daily driver rather than using it as a farmhand. It was still a compact, mid-size truck, but now came with smoother ride quality and plenty of safety features that made it a perfect fit for families.

In its very first generation, the Toyota Tacoma came in standard, extended, and double cab options with a three-engine lineup. The base engine was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that made 142 horses and 160 ft-lb torque. Next in line was a 2.7-liter four-cylinder power mill that churned 150 horsepower and 177 ft-lb torque. Finally, at the top was the 3.4-liter V6 that churned a respectable 190 horses at the time with 220 ft-lb torque. There was an aftermarket supercharged TRD variant as well, carrying the same 3.4-liter V6 but this one made around 250 horses and jetted 270 ft-lb of torque.

The engine came paired with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission, and you could also opt for a four-wheel-drive. In 1998, they also offered a TRD Off-Road package that came with a locking rear differential to really up the ante. This made Tacoma rather popular with the youth. In the same year, the PreRunner became another option, this one coming with a 2WD, often taken with the TRD Off-Road package.

In 2000, the S-Runner was launched as a limited edition. It was a 2WD and featured the 3.4-liter V6 with better numbers and a beefed-up suspension as well. With the Tacoma and its various special editions, it now became a pickup that appealed to everyone, from track enthusiasts to rally racers, people who needed a workhorse to those who needed a reliable family car.

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The Success Of The Tacoma

The First Generation Toyota Tacoma Lasted Till 2004, And Sales For Most Of The Years Remained Above 150,000 Per Year
via OverlandKitted

The Tacoma became a successor of the Hilux/Pickup in the best possible sense of the word, taking the success of the latter to even greater heights. And it did so because it was the perfect blend of a truck that could go off-road and haul decent weight while being a comfortable ride and rather plush.

The name Tacoma had American antecedents as well, it came from an Indian word for the mountain that provided water to their tribe. The mountain, later, became Mount Rainier. Even the designer was Kevin Hunter, who worked at the Calty Design Research in California, the same guys who design the Tacoma to date.

The first generation lasted till 2004, and sales for most of the years remained above 150,000 per year. Not the kind of love the F-Series got, but enough to make the Tacoma a dependable and reliable brand for most of the US. Enough to have it valued even as a used truck down the years.

Sources: DrivingLine, AutoInfluence

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