Author: Yash
A next-gen Tundra is here for this year. This is the company's big truck. The Tundra is a new-gen truck that is a good addition to the previous-gen that operated for the past fourteen years. In recent years, the Tundra has trailed behind its rivals Ram, Ford, and Chevrolet in nearly every category. The Tundra has aggressive new looks and an updated interior.
What's new
- Upgraded interior
- Redesigned looks
Pros
- Great off-road variants
- Passenger seating is spacious
Cons
- Driving is a bit stiff
- Fuel economy is not great
Price Range: $37,645
Rating: 7 / 10
The Tundra has a blocky dashboard with noticeable air vents and a center section that joins the door panels. All the materials utilized on the doors, center console, and dash are much better than what was installed in the previous gen. Of course, the quality of the materials becomes better with the trim levels. The top-of-the-line edition has beautiful wood accents. The Toyota Tundra models have a flexible center console with good cubby space and a big center bin. A pair of analog gauges and a useful driver-info display are a part of the standard instrument panel. The top models have a twelve-inch digital gauge cluster. The Toyota Tundra comes in a couple of body styles with different cargo-bed lengths. The extended cab is present with more than a six-foot bed. The crew cab also has a similar option.
Neither of the engine options in the Toyota Tundra has been rated in any manner for mpg estimates by the EPA. The early estimates from the company are that the default engine gives more than 19 mpg in a rear-wheel-drive and more than 17 mpg with a four-wheel drive. These figures are compared to the fuel economy of rivals with equal power output.
The Toyota Tundra is greatly more technologically impressive than the previous models. The pocket-friendly versions of the Toyota Tundra come with a four-inch driver information display and a seven-inch touchscreen. This runs an upgraded version of the firm's Audio Multimedia operating software. The choice list has a completely digital twelve-inch driver display, and a huge thirteen-inch touch screen mounted to the center dash. The upgraded touchscreen is fitted with a high-resolution display that gives swifter responses to user inputs. The thirteen-inch screen performs very well. The overall system responds fast to inputs. Users will experience that the screen does not wash out in the sunlight despite being high up on the dashboard.
The Toyota Tundra drops the V8 workhorse default on the previous year's model. It replaces it with the V6 power. Consumers can opt for one of a couple of choices. Users can go for a hybrid powertrain with more than 400 hp and 550 lb-ft output. They can even opt for a turbocharged V6 with similar numbers for the engine and the torque. Both engines are matched by an auto transmission that is a great combo on the street. It gives satisfying thrust and smooth shifts. The overall power is only up by a little compared to the previous outgoing engine. Thus, the default engine will not get acceleration awards. But it does not get stressed at full throttle.
The firm has also made some key changes to the underpinning of the Toyota Tundra that greatly improves the on-road performance. It removes the old-school leaf-spring rear suspension usually found on full-size trucks because of their toughness and durability. It replaces it with modern coil springs in the rear. The Toyota Tundra now joins a few rivals as the only truck in this segment to utilize rear coils. While the modification in ride quality is not very high, it is noticeable. The Toyota Tundra is a lot more comfortable over broken roads than ever before. The ride quality is only a little bouncy on the roughest of streets. You cannot term the Toyota Tundra the comfiest truck in the segment. But it is much improved over the previous-gen models.
Conclusion
The Toyota Tundra makes huge modifications to the interior, suspension, frame, and more. The upgrades make the vehicle much more competitive alongside modern trucks than its predecessors. It is a much-improved truck than ever before. But it is not enough to propel the Toyota Tundra to the front of the queue. In many ways, the advancements only make the Toyota Tundra run with the times in the large truck segment.
