2022 Toyota Tundra - Everything You Need to Know

The New Tundra Is a Well-Kept Secret, But Its Suspension Isn’t

I’ll start by saying that Toyota is VERY good at keeping the all-new Tundra out of public sight, with just a handful of spy shots ever made, and even those photos show heavily camouflaged prototypes that have some sort of street sweeper-tech in the back to hide the rear suspension setup.

But even so, I can confidently say that the third-generation Toyota Tundra will sport a solid rear axle with coil springs, and not leaf springs. How this will affect the payload, I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it will make the Tundra a much more comfortable truck altogether.

Six Lugs and an Updated Platform?

Another thing that’s visible in the spy shots is the six-lug hubs, which may indicate a beefier drivetrain configuration, seeing how the current gen truck has a five-lug setup.

But this change probably has more to do with the platform switch that will occur with the launch of the new generation. You see, the current Tundra shares its platform with a bunch of other Toyota and Lexus models, and this is part of the reason why the Tundra was kept the way it is now.

But with the reported change of platform, there will be a lot of different and new things brought to the table, including those six-lug wheels. And these changes will apply to all the other models that will be completely updated after the new Tundra is unveiled, with the first in line probably being the Sequoia.

As for the looks, there’s an older and very low-resolution leaked video of a Toyota dealer meeting that shows a teaser of the upcoming Tundra. There’s also a leaked photo of a headlight, and both seem to look the same.

Lots of LED Lighting But Similar Design

Based on these, a bunch of render artists tried their hand at guessing how the third-generation Tundra would look like. And it seems we’ll see a lot of LED lights, starting from the daytime running lights and continuing with the fog lamps and possibly the main beams.

According to Automotive Press International, Toyota’s truck will be offered with four different grille styles, along with different trim levels.

This approach would be similar to Ford’s strategy with the F-150, and shows Toyota is ready to offer a more personalized experience.

V-6 Power Could Replace the V-8 of Today Thanks to Hybridization

And now for the engine. Currently, the Tundra is offered with a 5.7-liter V8 that makes 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. It’s a throaty engine, but it’s not exactly a fuel economy champion, with an estimated 13 to 17 miles per gallon.
And this can only mean one thing: the upcoming truck will most probably ditch the V8 in favor of a smaller, turbocharged V6 that will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Rumors say that a hybrid setup will probably make its way under the hood as well, seeing how Toyota has hybrids of pretty much all their other models.
This would compete directly with the recently-revealed Ford F-150 hybrid which uses a 3.5-liter V6 and has a total power output of 500 horsepower.

Updated Safety and Comfort Technology

Inside, expect the new Tundra to offer Toyota’s latest safety features, like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and blind spot monitoring, as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and cool stuff like a laptop stand to rival that of the F-150.

According to Automotive News, Toyota dealers are really excited for this truck, partly because they think it can take a better share of the full-size truck segment, and partly because pickups are some of the most profitable things with wheels they can sell.

It’s Said that the Toyota Tundra Will Be Best In Class

But anyway, US dealers have apparently been told that they’ll get a “best in class, world beater” truck. This would mean, among other things, a bigger towing capacity than the current generation’s 10,200 pound-limit, and also a bigger payload capacity than the current 1,730-pound limit.

It also means the Tundra would finally have a chance to outsell any of the other big trucks made by Ford, Ram and Chevy. This has never happened before, and Toyota obviously doesn’t like the way things are. I mean, they have the best-selling car in America - the Camry, and also the best-selling mid-size truck in America - the Tacoma. Toyota is also the world’s top-selling car maker, so it’s obvious they had to do something to be more competitive on the highly lucrative full size truck market.

And I think they’ll have a shot - they’re determined, for one - but the Tundra has a sort of cult following, which will probably just intensify as the new generation arrives.

Third-Gen Toyota Tundra Reveal Date and Pricing

Speaking of the reveal, all signs point towards an end-of 2021 unveiling, with production set to begin in late fall for the 2022 model year at Toyota’s San Antonio pickup assembly plant. Pricing has yet to be announced, but with a slew of new safety and tech kit on board, expect the base price to be higher than what is currently on offer. Hey, you can’t have new AND cheap, okay?

What are your thoughts on the new Toyota Tundra? Do you like the way it will look or are you more of a Chevy slash Ford design fan? Let me know in the comments below.