Renderings of what is likely the next-generation Toyota Tacoma have been unearthed from a patent application. The images come from a filing with Brazil’s intellectual property agency, and look remarkably similar to a proposed electric pickup concept shown in 2019.
The images were discovered by Motor1, and show a pickup very similar to a truck previewed in Toyota’s mega-EV announcement in December 2021, in which it promised 30 new EV launches by 2030. That truck had a blanked-out grille representative of a battery-electric rig, while the rendering in the patent filing shows a traditional grille in its place. According to some rumors, the 2024 Tacoma will have an EV variant, while other reports indicate a turbo 2.4-liter inline-4 and 2.4-liter mated to a hybrid system.
The styling takes several cues from the new Tundra. Fortunately, it’s not quite as over-styled, and largely keeps true to the Tacoma formula that’s made the third-gen a best-seller despite a long eight years on the market. The teardrop vents below the headlights, character lines kicking up from just aft of the front wheels, and stylized wheel arches are copy-pasted straight from the 2021 EV concept.
Other interesting design notes include a rooftop spoiler and a diagonal-cut line at the rear of the bed. The latter could make for interesting aftermarket bumper swaps and perhaps even better departure angles for off-roaders. Rear lights appear to mimic the square-bracket look of the big-bro Tundra, as does the angle-cut trailing edge of the tailgate.
Spy shots of the Tacoma have revealed that it will likely ditch the leaf spring rear suspension in favor of a coil spring setup with a design similar to that of the Tundra’s.
Curiously, Brazil doesn’t currently sell the Tacoma, opting for the rest-of-the-world Hilux instead. We suppose it’s possible this is a Hilux instead, but the proportions and lines scream Tacoma. The rendering also appears to be a tougher version of what we’ve seen in spy shots, and based on the wheels, show what could be a TRD package version.
The Tacoma has been the standard-bearer in the midsize truck market. It does truck things well, and even its rugged Baja racer-esque ride is likely a selling point for many. It’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up to upcoming refreshes of the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado.
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