Will the 2022 Toyota Tundra Actually “Blow Us Away?”

The Vice President of Toyota, Bob Carter, thinks the 2022 Tundra launch later this year is ready to compete with the domestic models from the United States. Now, we can hear the Ford, GM, and Dodge crowd laughing in the back about Toyota entering the conversation in the large truck segment, and rightfully so. Although Toyota has established itself as a player who can build a nice full-sized truck, money talks, and sales figures tell a different story.

The Ford F-150 continues to dominate sales year in and year out and ranks as the best pickup truck. Chevrolet and Dodge also sell more units annually than the Tundra. Each respective manufacturer has modernized their full-sized trucks with luxurious interior upgrades and reshaped the exterior, all while Toyota competes with severely outdated technology. With that said, the VP of Toyota says the 2022 Tundra will be competing toe-to-toe and will be “the best in class.” In recent comments, he went as far as to say it’ll “blow us away.”

We heard the news recently that Toyota might be experimenting with the idea of adding a twin-turbo V8 into their trucks, and judging by the comments, enthusiasts from all backgrounds were on board with this potential addition. If Toyota followed through, this would blow us away. Patent renderings submitted last year by Toyota showed it could extend to their truck, but we’re still waiting to hear the official word from Toyota. 

In its current configuration, the Tundra is running an exterior that’s only had a minor refresh on the exterior since its initial debut and one offering for engines – their 5.7L 381 horsepower V8.

When it debuted, 381 horsepower was amazing, while today it’s about average. Even worse, the truck is rated for 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway, which is hardly efficient, especially with gas prices soaring. However, most people purchase Toyota for its reliability, highlighted by multiple million-mile Tundra’s, but it’s hard to compare it right now to the big three in terms of fuel efficiency, luxury, and looks.

Bob Carter said recently in an interview with Motor Trend that the new powertrain option for the Tundra will be more powerful than the current configuration. “We have our own concept and our own technology that I think you’ll be impressed.” If they can build something that’s more efficient, holds the Toyota badge of reliability, gets a beefy new look, and offers a V8, big three manufacturers and enthusiasts alike might offer their acceptance.

Many enthusiasts that support the big three are fed up with the automakers shifting away from a V8 option, and have said if Toyota offered a V8, they’d buy it. This would cause ripple effects in the market and might have the other brands reconsider their positions about shifting to all-electric or dropping the engines. However, if Toyota only launches with a turbo V6, evident by the news of their latest Land Cruiser, it may be much of the same, unless they consider the diesel route, which we aren’t expecting.

No matter the conclusion, we feel that Toyota’s news will blow us away because of the suspense they’ve built up over these past few months. However, what we’re still trying to determine is if the outcome will be favorable for big three enthusiasts and steal away the lion’s share of a busy market. If they give the public a twin-turbo V8? That’s certainly a reality, but if they follow the trend and scrap the infamous motor, only Toyota enthusiasts will be customers.