The 2016 Toyota Tacoma will finally be making its way to the retail markets in North America next month.
Much has been said about its features and specifications as well as how it was redesigned from the ground up compared to its predecessor model. But none of those advance information said something about the expected retail price of the pickup truck when it rolls out into the market.
Nearly everyone in the North American motoring industry is also aware that when the 2016 Toyota Tacoma rolls out to the markets, it shall compete head-on with the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado of General Motors.
However, there has been a leak on the expected retail price of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma when it hits the North American markets next month. The leak originated from a Toyota dealers meeting on June 24 at Los Angeles, where the price range for the midsize truck was clearly indicated to go from $22,200 for the base model all the way to $39,375 for the high-end variant.
Autospies says the base price of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma is actually a couple of grand higher than the price for the base model of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado valued at $20,120.
Apparently, Toyota will not be battling it out with GM in terms of price in the midsize truck segment but on the aspect of engine performance, interior refinements, and updated technology.
No single cab
Also on the same leak document from the supposed Toyota dealers meeting in LA, it was also shown that there will be no single-cab configuration on the new Tacoma.
It also appears that the Japanese manufacturer will be doing away with the two-wheel drive manual option for 2016 and beyond. However, there will still be a manual option for four-wheel-drive pickup trucks, cites Off-Road.com.
The same set of documents also pointed out that Toyota’s manufacturing line is being streamlined so it can be more efficient with fewer suspension configurations.
It also revealed that the TRD models will have a price of $31,250 for the TRD Off-Road, $30,685 for the TRD Sports package, and the top-of-the-line Limited with a starting price of $35,650.
Redesigned from the ground up
Given the threat posed by competition, the Japanese carmaker has redesigned the 2016 Toyota Tacoma from the ground up while maintaining the overall size of its predecessor model.
The improvements can be noticed right away at its angular exterior styling, but the major upgrade was significantly adopted under the hood.
Although it was manufactured from the same platform as its predecessor model, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma is now even made tougher with the use of high-strength steel under the sheet metal for better rigidity. Additionally, ultra-high-strength steel was integrated into the body using a stamping process that makes the 2016 Toyota Tacoma very light in weight.
Technological improvements can also be seen in the interior cabin highlighted by the infotainment console at the center stack featuring a touchscreen display that controls entertainment, navigation and smartphone integration functions including a wireless charging pad.
There is also a GoPro camera mounted on the windshield that comes with the 2016 Toyota Tacoma for documenting on- and off-road adventures.
Under the hood, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma will come in either a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or a new 3.5-liter V6 engine which shall optimize fuel injection along with an Atkinson power cycle to improve efficiency. The new V6 engine is expected to lead its class in terms of fuel economy.
Both engine variants come with a six-speed automatic transmission while a six-speed manual transmission will be available for the V6 engine model. Complementing it further with a retuned suspension, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma is expected to have better handling and maneuvering capability both on-road and off-road.