Tundra is offered in three cab styles, two-door Regular Cab, four-door Double Cab and four-door CrewMax, all available in 4×2 and 4×4.
Every time I think that front grilles cannot get any larger, they do. Toyota Motor unveiled its redesigned 2014 Tundra full-size pickup with a newly enlarged grille and a raised hood of Kenworthian proportions at a press conference at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show this morning.
It’s part of a Tundra exterior and interior redesign – the first since 2007 – in an attempt to increase sales in one of the most profitable vehicle segments in North America. What is not news is that Tundra will continue to face strong competition from upcoming new 2014 Chevrolet and GMC Sierra, as well as recently revised Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 pickups.
While the Tundra continues to be a truck with claims to American roots – engineered by Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., and its new shape by Calty Design in Newport Beach, Calif., and assembled in San Antonio, Texas – Ford, GM and Dodge Ram pickup truck buyers remain loyal to their brands.
Tundra is offered in three cab styles, two-door Regular Cab, four-door Double Cab and four-door CrewMax, all available in 4×2 and 4×4.
Underneath, Tundra is carried over with its three existing powertrains – a 4-liter V6 with a five-speed, yes five-speed automatic, and two V8 engines, 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter, both with 6-speed automatic transmissions.
Tundra’s 5.7-liter V8 carries more than 2,000 pounds and tows more than 10,000 pounds. Tundra has been compliant with SAE’s new towing standard since 2011, which the Detroit Three have not adopted in a bit of marketing monkey business that sees them claim higher ratings.
Since Tundra is selling in small volumes far below what Toyota originally thought probable (7,000 in January; 102,000 during 2012 compared to F-Series at 645,000, Silverado 418,000, Ram 293,000, Sierra 157,000), Toyota continues to work on an upgrade strategy consisting of the price leading SR and volume-leading SR5, but then quickly moving to “well-appointed” and progressively more expensive Limited, and now two premium grades, “Platinum” and the all-new “1794 Edition.”
The new 1794 Edition refers to the ranch, founded in the year 1794, on which the Tundra plant is located in San Antonio. Whether you need an oil well to pay for the new plush trucks will be revealed closer to launch this September. Tundra’s current price range extends from $26,000 to almost $54,000.
Tundra has been a quality leader, including winning the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study for seven years running in the Full-Size Pick Up segment.
