Even though the third-gen Toyota Tacoma has stayed at the top of the mid-size pickup truck sales charts, there's no one around who'd say it was particularly exciting. The Tacoma is reliable, gets the job done, and has a certain inexplicable charm to it. With the 2024 Toyota Tacoma signaling the shift of ol' faithful into the fourth-gen, all that changes.
The new Tacoma takes what's good about the outgoing truck and adds modernity, refinement, power, efficiency, comfort and perhaps most importantly, excitement. Underpinning the Tacoma redesign is a move to Toyota's modular TNGA-F platform, which makes it drive considerably better, whilst still retaining its capabilities. Not to mention, the Tacoma also brings four-wheel disc brakes, multilink suspension at the rear, new four-cylinder engines (including a hybrid!), new active safety tech and new interiors. For anyone wondering what the fuss is all about, this is why people have been waiting years for the fourth-gen Tacoma to come out.
The 2024 Tacoma Is Better With Multi-link Rear Suspension
Any hardcore off-roader will tell you their leaf spring setup is great when it comes to tackling the worst obstacles when the road runs out. And how the leaf springs are simple, bulletproof and better. Most pickup trucks utilize leaf springs at the rear. But what they won't always tell you is how it's a compromise on the road. Leaf springs can lead to a bumpy ride on smooth tarmac, thanks to the simple physics of asking sheets of metal tacked over each other to provide suspension comfort. Thankfully the 2024 Tacoma goes a step further with multi-link rear suspension on all but the base models which still offer leaf springs for anyone that really, really wants them.
This should improve the ride quality of the new Tacoma ten-fold, along with the improvements in the new chassis as on its bigger siblings the Tundra and Sequoia, whilst still retaining the off-road capabilities of any other body-on-frame truck. The new Tacoma has a maximum ground clearance of 9.5 inches, a 33.8-degree approach, 23.5-degree breakover, and 25.7-degree departure angles, which are all really impressive figures all things considered. It's a win-win any way you look at it.
The Tacoma Redesign Is Bigger Inside But Not Outside
The exteriors of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma are highly influenced by the new design language we have seen on the new-gen Tundra and the Sequoia. The new version of this mid-size pickup has more aggressive features and several elements that have a similar layout as that of its elder siblings. It even rides on a near-four inch longer wheelbase thanks to the move to the new TNGA-F platform, Toyota's first modular platform for body-on-frame vehicles.
But, to keep its drivability alive, the new Tacoma hasn't increased in overall length too much. Even though the track itself is again nearly four inches wider, the slim look of the Tacoma is kept intact to mark it as the mid-size truck in Toyota's lineup.
Another aspect the outgoing Tacoma was criticized for was its uncomfortable cabin experience, especially in the second row of the crew cab version. However, with the '24 Tacoma and its significant improvements in cabin room and comfort, this issue should be a thing of the past. If all that wasn't enough, the new Tacoma TRD Pro even has front seats with their own shock absorbers to really cushion all the impacts of flying down fire roads. They're called IsoDynamic Performance seats and they might be game changers.
The 2024 Tacoma's Redesigned Interior Has New Touchscreens
Another area where the all-new Tacoma has made considerable improvement in comparison to its current model is infotainment and connectivity. There's a huge 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system tacked on the dash, but it also has double redundancy in a full set of physical controls for the important stuff to make sure you don't have to take your eyes off the road. Connectivity through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be available in addition to the facility of voice commands.
The Tacoma 2024 also moves to a fully digital set of gauges for the first time, with a 12.3-inch screen serving up driving info and telltales. Lower-grade Tacoma models will make do with a 7-inch cluster and 8-inch infotainment screen, but there's also better materials used throughout for a plusher experience. There's also removable storage panels strewn across the cabin, and clever under seat storage at the rear for the non-hybrid models that can hold a candle to Rivian's ingenuity.
The New Tacoma Mids-Size Pickup Goes Hybrid
The current generation Toyota Tacoma has an engine lineup that consists of two gas-powered units: an inline 4-cylinder that generates 159 horsepower and a V6 that produces 278 horsepower. Unfortunately, both these engines are low on power compared to this truck's competition. The biggest disappointment, however, is the 6-speed automatic transmission, which fails to provide a smooth driving experience on the road, something we realized in our review.
Toyota's moved the game along with the 2024 Tacoma. The base models get a new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with between 228 and 278 horsepower depending on the variant. There's also a hybridized 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder with 326 horsepower and an impressive 465 lb-ft torque available. The top Tacoma variants, the Trailhunter and TRD Pro, get this powertrain as standard.
The transmission options of this truck also see a revision, thankfully. Toyota has decided to retain the 6-speed manual gearbox in the Tacoma lineup, whilst adding a modern 8-speed automatic. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma will continue to offer both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models at the lower end of the lineup. Furthermore, the new Tacoma can be had with the optional electronic front stabilizer bar that should help articulation off-road, affording 10 percent more flex when needed. The truck's multi-terrain system is also improved, and can be used on the fly without needing to stop the Tacoma and slot into 4-Low.
One thing is for sure, as we approach the middle of the decade, most of the pickup trucks we recognize today will become hybridized and then fully electric. So the redesigned 2024 Tacoma will be the flag-bearer of the next generation of hybrid and all-electric Toyota pickup trucks.