Toyota Tundra, revamped inside and out, joins modern-day pickup era

Toyota's once-in-a-generation, top-to-bottom redesign of its full-size 2022 Tundra pickup aims to thrust the longtime laggard back into the competition with the Detroit 3 and give the brand its best hope in years to pick up some share in the highly profitable segment.

Set to go on sale in U.S. dealerships late this year, the new Tundra will bear little functional resemblance to the current model, which went on sale in 2007 and trails its domestic competitors in fuel economy, technology and sales volume.

The third-generation Tundra "is spectacular," David Christ, head of the Toyota Division at Toyota Motor North America, told Automotive News. "We've always historically done very well with Toyota owners with the Tundra, but we think this truck will give us the ability to conquest more because of its towing capabilities and because of its brand positioning, the strength of the look of the truck, and the interior of the truck."

While styling changes and technology improvements abound, the biggest and most important changes take place well below the sheet metal.

Riding on a new global platform, the 2022 Tundra sheds the current version's longtime 5.7-liter V-8 in favor of a more efficient twin-turbo V-6 that makes 389 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque. A new 10-speed automatic replaces the current version's six-speed automatic, while a new optional hybrid system tuned to improve towing capabilities as well as fuel economy boosts power output to 437 hp and 583 pound-feet of torque.

Current versions get combined highway/city mileage in the mid-teens while some of its rivals achieve economy in the high teens to the low 20s; EPA figures for the 2022 Tundra have not been released.

Engineers also ditched the current version's leaf spring rear suspension in favor of a new multilink coil spring setup to improve ride and handling.

Two four-door cab sizes will be offered: the smaller double cab, available with either a 6.5-foot or 8.1-foot bed, or the larger CrewMax, with either a 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed. It comes in six trim levels: the SR, SR5, Limited, TRD Pro, 1794 and Platinum.

The cabin will boast a standard 8-inch touch screen and an available 14-inch version that will run an all-new infotainment system developed in-house by Toyota Motor North America's Texas-based Connected Technologies team.

Largely mirroring improvements being made to Lexus' infotainment system, which will debut this fall on the NX, the Toyota Audio Multimedia system features a virtual digital assistant to interact with the driver in a conversational tone, over-the-air upgrades, available 4G connectivity through AT&T, cloud-based navigation and a more intuitive user interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility come standard.

It will boast a number of new and upgraded driver assistance systems, standard on all models and packaged as Toyota Safety Sense 2.5.

The true measure of how important the redesigned Tundra is to Toyota occurred in late August, when the automaker revealed steep production cuts globally caused by the ongoing microchip shortage affecting all of its North American vehicles — except the pickup.

Christ said the Tundra will be a hot topic when Toyota brand dealers gather this week in Las Vegas for their first annual meeting in two years.

"We're going to kind of bask in Tundra for a bit," Christ said, adding that dealers will be able to drive the truck's two powertrains and experience its off-road and towing capabilities for themselves in Las Vegas.

One thing dealers won't learn is the truck's pricing, because it's not yet complete. However, Christ said, dealers shouldn't worry that price increases will change the Tundra's marketing dynamic.

"We think it's still going to be a great value for the strength of the product," Christ said. "And I think the dealers, once they experience the Tundra, and then once we get closer to launch and they see the pricing, they're going to be very happy."