2016 Toyota Tacoma gets a much-delayed upgrade

Toyota is the brand to beat in many automobile segments — reliable family sedans, fuel-sipping hybrids, luxury crossovers, etc. — but in no segment has Toyota ruled so supremely as compact pickups. Some seven million compact/mid-size Toyota trucks have been sold in the U.S. since 1964, and for the last two decades, all of them have been named Tacoma, or “Taco,” by its legions of enthusiasts.

In recent years, thanks in part to Toyota’s hegemony as well as the dwindling number of mini-truck competitors as the Big Three focused on full-sizers, the Tacoma has only galvanized its lead in the small truck arena. So why change anything?

Well, because no car or truck can remain fresh after more than a decade on the market, no matter what its competitive landscape looks like. And not insignificantly, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon reappeared for 2015, looking and driving better than ever. Suddenly, with its cranky old engines and four- and five-speed transmissions, the Tacoma has become a dinosaur.

Fortunately, Toyota is just about ready with a replacement, due in showrooms by the end of 2015 as a 2016 model and which has just made its debut at the 2015 Detroit auto show. At first blush, it’s clear that Toyota’s designers took a cautious approach to the Tacoma’s styling, resulting in a truck that looks more like it was refreshed than completely redesigned. But alas, every body panel is new, all the way from the raised hood back to its locking, easy-close tailgate.