2016 Tacoma Gets Much Needed Upgrades

Given the showering of praise the new Chevy Colorado has been receiving, you knew Toyota was going to make sure it was spot-on with the 2016 Tacoma reveal in Detroit. And for the most part, it was. Even though we didn’t learn too much more about the Tacoma than what we already knew, there were some takeaways from today’s unveiling. And seeing the truck in person gives a true sense of the updated and rugged styling.

Matching a focus of many other truck companies these days, Toyota is working on making the Tacoma lighter. This means a lighter body shell, while the frame actually gets stiffer and the ultra-high strength steel means a tougher overall construction.

Under the hood, the Tacoma will continue to offer a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. But the V-6 engine will be an upgrade, in the form of a 3.5-liter Atkinson V-6. While exact specs aren’t being released on the engine, it was mentioned that it will be an upgrade in power and efficiency – something no one is going to argue with.

The Tacoma even received some luxury upgrades, as a moonroof and leather-trimmed seats were added.

Needless to say, the engine upgrade, new style and added luxury features were much needed. Without much competition in the past few years, the mid-size truck segment has been lacking, and the Tacoma was one of the main contributors to this. It looks like competition from Chevrolet – among others – has forced Toyota to get in the game.