The 2022 Toyota Tundra is a hybrid truck for fun

The the all-new Toyota Tundra is finally here, about a decade and a half after the truck’s last overhaul. Although I don’t like the term “brand new”, I think it applies here since the 2022 Tundra is Toyota’s first full-size hybrid pickup, featuring a new platform, new drivetrain and new design, inside and out.

Toyota engineers say they want to rethink their approach to Tundra, now in its third generation, and I think the biggest changes are to make Tundra less like its competitors. Right down to the way Toyota designs the truck. The automaker says it is happy to let rivals – such as GM and Ford – retain the image of a “work truck” when it wants people to see the Tundra as a “fun truck.” Really, I think it’s a way to avoid competing directly on the basis of specs because the new Tundra isn’t the class leader in all areas. However, it could be considered greater than the sum of its specs.

(Full disclaimer: Toyota invited me to the full unveiling of its latest Tundra near its headquarters in Plano, Texas. The company took me there, put me up in a nice hotel and fed me too. I also had the opportunity to get to know the engineers and designers of the truck.)

Let’s start with the powertrains. The two transmissions available are:

• A 3.5-liter Twin Turbo V6 developing 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque.
• A 3.5-liter Hybrid Twin Turbo V6 developing 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of couple.

If you were hoping for a diesel engine, I hate to let you down, but there won’t be. Toyota says the hybrid can do what diesel would do, reduce torque to 2,400 rpm. Mike Sweers, the Tundra’s chief engineer, said there was no good reason to put a diesel engine inside, as the hybrid better balances output and emissions.

The TRD Pro Tundra will be hybrid only, but a TRD “all-terrain package” will eventually reach the ICE model. Toyota is consolidating the platforms to its new global Toyota architecture, so now this Tundra and the 2022 Land Cruiser (300 series) share a platform. The truck will tow up to 12,000 pounds, but there is a warning. The Tundra Hybrid will tow 11,300 to 11,500 books according to options and packages. But in any configuration, the hybrid will tow less because of the battery and electric motor, which add weight and complexity to the drivetrain. The maximum payload of the Tundra is 1,940 pounds.

Tundra hybrids are parallel hybrids, not plug-in hybrids, and Toyota hasn’t mentioned anything about an EV model. Of course, Toyota’s competitors DG and Ford – have already announced EV vans.

Another major change concerns the suspension. There is double wishbone up front with Bilstein or Fox shocks, depending on the package. The rear gets the biggest overhaul ranging from leaf springs to a multi-link setup with coil springs or an air suspension system, depending on options. This is a big deal.

Crawling under there and looking at the pendant light is just weird. I’m not used to ladder frame trucks without leaf packs, but again the new Tundra is trying to carve out some niche in the market. Toyota says the largest group of first-time truck buyers are luxury SUVs. You can bet these drivers are used to a level of ride comfort that traditional trucks – “work trucks” – can’t match.

While we’re talking about work trucks, let’s talk about cabins and beds. The new Tundra will only be available in four-door configurations, either in Double Cab or CrewMax. No more simple taxis! Sweers said Toyota will never make a single cabin Tundra again, at least not for the U.S. market.

When I asked why, Sweers told me it was just because no one was buying them. Single cabin tundras represented one minutet of Tundra’s sales in the United States in 2020, and less than four percent for other truck makers. He also said that just ten years ago, single cabins easily sold more than double cabins. Now single cabin buyers have switched to double cabins and double cabin drivers are buying the CrewMax.

There is still a longbed available and the configurations will break down as follows:

• Double cabin: Available with a 6.5 foot bed or an 8.1 foot bed.
• CrewMax: Available with a 5.5 foot bed or a 6.5 foot bed.

So say goodbye to the single cabin, Tundra long bed. The single cab, long bed was a good truck, but that’s not where the sales are.

Toyota says it always focuses on sustainability. Of course, anyone can say that; prove it’s another matter. No matter what Toyota’s background, no car or truck is perfect. As an example, the outgoing tundra was known to have transmission cooling problems, especially when towing. Thus, Toyota has added a transmission oil cooler in this model.

Sweers’ focus was primarily on sustainability, but also to encourage drivers who would otherwise be intimidated by towing or put off by anecdotal tales of towing harming older tundras. He wants so-called “weekend warriors” to use their tundra for towing more often, which explains the ride aids (and load-leveling air suspension) in the new tundra. These aids come in the form of different towing modes that adjust throttle response based on towing load to make towing effortless, and pan camera systems to keep an eye on the entire truck. and the trailer.

Another great example of Toyota making modifications that add up to a (hopefully) reliable truck was illustrated by Sweers, who were keen to show off the drive chain in the Tundra’s transfer case. The dude is a truck nerd for sure, and I say that as a compliment.

The same BorgWarner transfer case that is in the Tundra will also go in competitor’s trucks, but Toyota uses a drive chain up to a half-inch stronger than that used by its competitors. That’s 1.75 inches for the Tundra and 1.25-1.5 inches for its rivals.

There is no official price yet for the ’22 Tundra. We also won’t know what the fuel efficiency numbers will look like until Toyota and the EPA find out. Hopefully the price doesn’t go up too much while the miles per gallon for the hybrid goes up a lot.