Toyota sets up a quadruple play

After a long, long, very long wait, Toyota will begin redesigning its body-on-frame pickups and SUVs this year onto its newly developed global platform, beginning with the Tundra and followed by the rest of the "Four Brothers:" the Sequoia, Tacoma and 4Runner.

Meanwhile, the brand is continuing to fulfill its long-standing promise to hybridize its lineup and will rejoin the electric vehicle ranks next year with the bZ4X crossover, the first of a new global family of battery-powered vehicles. While other EVs with the Toyota badge will come in the future, just what shape those vehicles will take remains an open question.

Toyota maintains that it will continue to soldier on in the sedan and coupe segments, especially as other competitors drop out as sales of those vehicles continue to decline. But it would not be surprising if the product plans for those vehicles slowed a bit further.

Corolla: The compact sedan was redesigned in 2019, and a hybrid version was added in 2020. A freshen won't be needed until 2023 under Toyota's traditional product cycle.

Camry: Toyota gave the midsize sedan a mild freshen in 2020. It's expected to be freshened again in 2024, under the automaker's normal product cycle.

Avalon: The large sedan will get a full freshen in the second half of 2022, when it will see new safety equipment and infotainment upgrades, among other interventions.

Supra: The brand's sport coupe jointly made with BMW is scheduled for a midcycle freshen in 2023.

GR 86: Toyota and partner Subaru introduced a redesigned 86 and gave it a new name, GR 86, to highlight the role of Toyota's Gazoo Racing in its development. The small coupe will arrive in showrooms this year, and won't be due for a freshen until 2025 under Toyota's normal product cycle.

Mirai: Redesigned in 2020, the low-volume hydrogen-powered sedan isn't likely to see a freshen before 2024. The car remains hampered by a lack of refueling infrastructure.

Prius/Prius Prime: Toyota's pioneering hybrid got a plug-in hybrid Prime version in 2019 and optional all-wheel drive in 2020, but sales continue to lag as consumers choose from among a broad variety of fuel-saving hybrids in the brand's lineup. But the pair of Prius models will see a freshen in 2023.

Corolla Cross: The new entry-level subcompact crossover goes on sale this year in a variety of trim levels — including a base model with steel wheels for budget-conscious consumers. It shares the TNGA-C platform with the Corolla sedan and borrows the powertrain from the car's sportier grades. The 169-hp inline-four engine is mated with a continuously variable transmission and is capable of towing up to 1,500 pounds. With standard front-wheel drive, the Corolla Cross is expected to be rated at 32 mpg combined. All-wheel drive is optional. The vehicle is being built in a new assembly plant in Alabama jointly operated with Mazda. Toyota is aiming the Corolla Cross squarely at younger buyers who may not want a sedan.

C-HR: When Toyota introduced the Corolla Cross this year, executives said it was intended to fill white space between the C-HR and popular RAV4. But the C-HR hasn't been a great seller and may sunset in 2022, when it would otherwise be due for a redesign. Right now, its fate is an open question.

RAV4: Toyota's hottest-selling nameplate will get a full freshen in the first half of 2022, with styling updates and some new safety and infotainment upgrades.

Venza: The midsize hybrid crossover debuted in the second half of 2020 as an Americanized version of the Japan-built Harrier, slotted between the RAV4 and Highlander. It would next be due for a midcycle freshen in 2024, under traditional Toyota product planning cycles.

Highlander: Toyota's three-row unibody crossover will be freshened in the second half of 2022.

Grand Highlander: Borrowing a page from the playbooks of other automakers, Toyota will introduce a larger, longer unibody three-row crossover in 2023 expected to be called the Grand Highlander. The vehicle is to be built in Indiana alongside the Sienna minivan, and it will have a hybrid powertrain option and a larger third row than the current Highlander.

4Runner: A redesign onto the automaker's new global body-on-frame platform is expected to slip into 2024, when it will be the last of the "Four Brothers" to make the jump. With the move, Toyota will add a hybrid powertrain option to improve the off-roader's fuel economy.

Sequoia: Like the Tundra on which it's based, the three-row, body-on-frame large SUV will be redesigned onto the company's new body-on-frame global platform and will arrive in the second half of 2022. The redesigned Sequoia is expected to get a full roster of upgraded infotainment and driver-assist systems, along with a hybrid powertrain that will improve torque and horsepower as well as fuel economy.

Land Cruiser: Toyota decided to let the Land Cruiser sunset in North America after a six-decade run, pushing that niche business to Lexus, where it can command higher premiums. Whether the brand will bring back the nameplate, which dealers want, remains an open question, but that is unlikely to occur before 2025.

Sienna: The redesigned minivan arrived in late 2020 on the TNGA-K platform with a standard hybrid powertrain, a much-improved infotainment system and recliner-like second-row seating. It won't be due for a midcycle freshen until 2024, given the automaker's traditional product cycles.

Tacoma: After multiple freshenings, the undisputed king of the midsize-pickup segment will be redesigned onto the automaker's new body-on-frame global architecture in 2023, when it is expected to receive a hybridized powertrain as well as other safety and infotainment improvements.

Tundra: After a 14-year wait, Toyota will finally deliver a fully redesigned Tundra full-size pickup to U.S. dealerships late in the year. Much is already known about the long-overdue makeover as the Tundra debuts the automaker's new global body-on-frame platform, thanks to a long series of spy shots, leaks and sneak peaks. The next-gen Tundra will follow its Detroit 3 rivals in going even bigger, with a massive, dominating grille. Its optional hybrid powertrain will be tuned to deliver added power and torque, which should boost towing capability, as will its newly engineered suspension. The pickup will feature advanced LED lighting, a massive available two-row skylight and a much-improved interior with added standard safety systems and better infotainment offerings. Its first refresh would be due in 2025.

bZ4X: The Japan-built, RAV4-sized bZ4X crossover, the first of what promises to be at least a couple of battery-electric vehicles from Toyota destined for the U.S., will go on sale in the first half of 2022. It is the first vehicle built on Toyota Motor Corp.'s new e-TNGA dedicated EV platform and leverages Subaru's all-wheel-drive technology. With styling reminiscent of the angular Lexus RX crossover — with sharp creases, a steeply raked rear window and slit-like headlights — the bZ4X has a long wheelbase and short overhangs.

bZ family: When it unveiled the bZ4X in April in Shanghai, Toyota said it envisions a global lineup of 15 dedicated EVs — with seven that get the new bZ branding, including a pickup coming in both hybrid and full-electric variants. Toyota also said at the time that its electrified portfolio, including hybrids, will reach 70 models worldwide by 2025. Look for the Japanese brand to add new bZ-badged EVs to its U.S. lineup in both 2024 and 2025, but in which segments those vehicles will compete has not been disclosed.