Yahoo Autos 8 cool things about the 2024 Toyota Tacoma
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma has been revealed, and it will start arriving at dealers this year to take on the also-new Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Ford Ranger, among other established midsize pickup trucks. And to stand out, Toyota has brought lots of fascinating features, many of which are exclusive to the Tacoma. You can get an overview on the truck here, but we've also listed some of the features we're most excited about below.
A hybrid engine
The Tacoma is the first and only truck in the segment (at least for now) to offer a hybrid powertrain. It combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 48-horsepower electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. In total it makes 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. That makes it the top-end engine option for the Tacoma range, but it also gives it the most torque of any engine in the segment, even topping the new Ford Ranger Raptor's 430 pound-feet of twist.
Toyota hasn't given fuel economy estimates for the hybrid engine yet. We're expecting it to perform better than many comparable engines in the class, though don't expect Prius levels of efficiency. And while we're talking about it, another bonus of the Tacoma's hybrid engine is having 2.4-kW of onboard power for tools, entertainment or other devices.
A manual transmission
While it won't be the only one (the Gladiator still has it), the new Tacoma will be one of just two trucks still letting you shift on your own. The non-hybrid 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder can be had with a six-speed manual transmission. It's not as potent as the hybrid, but it still puts up decent numbers at 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Toyota will even let you have the manual with either two- or four-wheel drive and in multiple cab configurations.
Multiple cabs and beds
That brings us neatly to our next favorite feature, and that's more choice in Tacoma shape and size. The Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Ford Ranger have all reduced their cab and bed options to single offerings with four doors and a single bed length. Toyota will still offer either an extended cab with two full doors or a quad cab with four full doors. The extended cab only gets the longer 6-foot bed, but it and a shorter 5-foot bed are available for the quad cab.
