Check out the revamped Toyota Tundra, a full-size pickup for the Americans

KUALA LUMPUR: The US market is one of the most thriving grounds for pickup trucks. We can back our statement with the fact that in 2020 the top three best-selling vehicles in the US were full-size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge.

Now, Toyota with its completely revamped Tundra is trying to benefit from the US favouritism for pickups. The all-new Tundra is styled in the US and surely looks more rugged than before. Improvements can also be seen on the power front.

But before going into details, we'd like to tell you that the new Tundra is developed on the ladder frame. It offers higher rigidity and is lighter too, thanks to the use of aluminium.

New Toyota Tundra design

The new Tundra bears similarities with the RAV4 and the Corolla Cross models. At the front, it gets a massive grille with thick inverted U surrounds, sleek LED headlamps with T-shaped DRLs. The rear benefits from taillamps exclusive for the US market, they come with three red vertical stripes with a full-height glow.

The cargo bed in the new Tundra is manufactured with a new Sheet-Molded Compound and aluminium. This combo offers better protection against light dents, rust, and impact dings.

Speaking of cargo, the massive tailgate can be opened at a switch of a button or via the remote switch on the keyfob.

New Toyota Tundra cabin

The cabin now benefits from a large 14-inch central infotainment system with better connectivity. The said system is locally developed and offers five times greater processing power than the older unit, thus calling for crisp graphics, better usability, and higher levels of voice commands.

New Toyota Tundra powerhouse

The highlight here is that not only Toyota downsized the mill but also electrified it. The new Tundra pickup is powered by a new 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo V6 mill that churns out a maximum power of 349 hp along with a peak torque of 649 Nm.

The hybrid version adds an e-motor between the V6 mill and the 10-speed automatic gearbox, the setup is called 'i-Force'. And it generates 443 hp of power and 790 Nm of torque. The system does the familiar Toyota-type assistance and propulsion with the e-motor offering assistance during towing and acceleration.

New Toyota Tundra ride & handling

The left springs are replaced by coil springs on the multi-link rear suspension, thus offering higher comfort and riding dynamics. In the USA, Toyota is offering the new Tundra with two off-road packages - the TRD off-road and TRD Pro. The former gets monotube Bilstein shocks, while the latter comes fitted with 2.5-inch diameter Fox internal bypass shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs.

 

Other off-road specific gears include - Falken all-terrain tyres,
a red-painted front stabilizer bar, underbody protection, and aluminium front skid plate.

So, what do you think of the new US-specific Toyota Tundra pickup?
New Toyota Tundra powerhouse? Let us know in the comments if you'd like to see one in Malaysia as well.

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