10 Reasons Why The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Will Dominate The Pickup Market

Jul 18, 2023

The Toyota Tacoma finally gets a complete overhaul and becomes a formidable threat to its competitors.

The Toyota Tacoma has historically been one of the best midsize pickup trucks in the American market and the 2024 Toyota Tacoma gains a long-awaited redesign. Toyota incepted the Tacoma pickup truck in 1995 as a replacement for the evocative Toyota Hilux a.k.a. the Toyota Truck. Unlike the unassailable Toyota Hilux which prioritized ruggedness and toughness over everything else, the Toyota Tacoma was conceived to give more prominence to comfort, ride quality, and handling.

Since then, the Toyota Tacoma evolved from a compact pickup truck to a midsize truck, spanning over three generations. The third-generation Toyota Tacoma was unveiled as a 2016 model year vehicle that continued to be sold until 2023 before getting a complete overhaul for the 2024 model year. The fourth-generation 2024 Toyota Tacoma was unshrouded recently, and in terms of performance, design, and features this brand-new Toyota truck is capable of overpowering and destroying its segment rivals. The following are the ten standout features that make it the front-runner in the mid-size pickup truck segment.

The base trims of the third-generation Toyota Tacoma were powered by a 159-hp four-cylinder engine which was clearly underpowered and underwhelming compared to its competitors. Toyota has managed to fix this drawback in the 2024 Toyota Tacoma by powering it with an all-new 2.4-liter i-FORCE turbocharged inline-4 engine. With this innovative move, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma now comes equipped with one of the most powerful base engines in the segment.

The new powertrain churns out 228 horses and 243 lb-ft of torque in the base SR trim. This is a drastic increase of 43% in power and 35% in torque compared to the outgoing four-cylinder motor. This number is further upped to 278 ponies and 317 lb-ft in the mid-level SR5 and PreRunner trims. However, when equipped with the available manual transmission, the output in these mid-grade models drops to 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. Fret not because if you need more juice, Toyota offers another almighty powertrain with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma.

The real game-changer under the hood of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is its new i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain. This high-end powertrain is optional in the mid-grade TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trims, and standard in the top-end TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims. The i-FORCE MAX powertrain consists of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine coalesced with a 48-hp electric motor that is integrated into the 8-speed automatic transmission, generating a total output of 326 ponies and 465 lb-ft of torque.

The outgoing third-generation Toyota Tacoma houses a gas-guzzling 278-hp V6 engine, providing decent performance. But over the years as its competitors were updated, the Tacoma fell behind them in terms of puissance. But now, Toyota has fixed the issue by energizing the 2024 Toyota Tacoma with this new powertrain, making it the most powerful truck in its segment.

RELATED: How The Redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma Changes The Mid-Size Pickup Game

With the ongoing transition to EVs, enthusiast-favorite manual transmissions have become a dying breed. None of the current EVs including electric pickup trucks are available with a stick shift and none of the upcoming trucks are expected to be offered with one. This is an alarming factor that affects the decision-making process of a potential truck buyer. However, Toyota has got your back as the updated 2024 Toyota Tacoma is still proffered with a manual transmission.

The base i-FORCE engine of the 2024 Tacoma can be paired with a new optional six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT2). These models churn out 270 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque and come augmented with features including automatic rev-matching and proprietary anti-stall technology. Along with a capable engine, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma also offers full manual control, thus delivering an even more exciting package.

Practicality is of utmost importance for someone seeking a workhorse in the midsize pickup truck segment. Toyota caters to this specific crowd by adding a brand-new regular cab model to the 2024 Toyota Tacoma lineup. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Xtracab is offered with a longer bed, more in-cabin storage space, and a bunch of added practicality features in the base SR, and SR5 trims, as well as the more rugged mid-grade, PreRunner trim.

While the rest of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma models feature a double cab layout with a 5-foot bed, the Xtracab models are two-seater regular cab variants with a longer 6-foot bed. Added storage spaces include lockable storage on the rear floor and on the back panel. Toyota also provides the option to fold flat the passenger seat to use it as a workspace.

A pre-runner can be any vehicle that is used by an off-road racing team to pre-run through the race course before the actual race happens. However, on the Toyota Tacoma lineup, the PreRunner model is a 2WD trim with immense off-roading prowess. First introduced in 1998, this unique trim comes packed with off-road goodies including an upgraded suspension and knobby tires.

Toyota last offered this model with the 2nd-gen Tacoma and after skipping a generation, the Japanese brand has reintroduced the PreRunner model in the fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma lineup. Available in both double cab and Xtracab variants, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner comes equipped with features including a lifted front suspension, larger diameter BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, and an electronically locking rear differential.

RELATED: Why The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Proves The Long Wait Was Completely Worth It

The brand-new addition to the Toyota Tacoma lineup is the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter which is an overlanding trim placed below the flagship TRD Pro trim and above the rest. This all-new factory-built overlanding rig is packed with exclusive features from third-party manufacturers including ARB, Old Man Emu, and RIGID. Firstly, the Trailhunter gets a high-mount air intake coupled with a high-clearance trail exhaust tip, allowing for improved water-wading.

Unique underpinnings of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter include an Old Man Emu (OME) 4×4 Suspension with position-sensitive shocks and remote reservoirs that was co-developed with ARB. Unique exterior features include a high-clearance front bumper, rock rails, and a steel rear bumper with recovery hooks. The Trailhunter truck also gets a built-in high-output air compressor integrated into its bed that helps to refill the tires with ease.

After the redesign, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is now mightier than ever. Along with standard 4WD and a high-clearance front bumper, this rugged truck is further loaded with off-road apparatus. Most notable among them are the Fox internal bypass 2.5-inch manual modal Quick Switch 3 (QS3) shocks with three different settings for compression damping.

The new multilink rear suspension setup further consists of FOX Internal Floating Piston (IFP) hydraulic bump stops tucked in with the coil springs. All of these dedicated off-roading hardware ensure that the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is capable of vanquishing any terrain without breaking a sweat. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is more pro than ever, and it is now able to take on any of the well-equipped midsize off-roaders including the hallowed Chevy Colorado ZR2.

Along with a potent powertrain and steadfast off-roading underpinnings, a set of adept all-terrain tires are also essential in a rugged truck to fully utilize all that vigor to tackle rough terrain. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro runs on 18-inch wheels wrapped around with 33-inch Goodyear Territory rough terrain tires. Ground clearance has also gone up from 9.4 inches of the previous generation to a healthier 11 inches.

The rugged tires and beefier suspension setup result in an increased ride height that is 2 inches higher in the front and 1.5 in the rear compared to the base 2024 Tacoma. On top of that, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is also 3 inches wider than its weaker siblings. With its blocky tires, wider track, and lifted stance, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is loaded and ready to face whatever is thrown at it, on any harsh terrain.

RELATED: 10 Changes Confirmed For The 2024 Toyota Tacoma's Interior And Redesign

This is where the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro becomes really special and stands out among its competitors. Toyota has equipped its magnum opus midsize truck with first-in-segment IsoDynamic Performance front seats. These Baja-inspired seats evidently look hardcore, and they feature an air-over-oil shock absorber system for added comfort when off-roading.

These unique, high-performance seats perform both vertical and lateral seat adjustments in tandem to control body movement. This process helps to stabilize the occupant's head and neck to sustain alignment with the spine and maintain a comfortable posture. You can also tune these seats manually to suit the occupant's preference to attain optimum ride comfort using levers on the seatbacks.

The Toyota Tacoma's cabin has been criticized to be spartan and lacking modern tech features which also has been addressed with the 2024 redesign. In the place of the previous 7-inch and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment displays, the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma brandishes a new base 8-inch touchscreen and an available segment-largest 14-inch unit. As for the instrument cluster, lower trims get a 7-inch unit whereas the higher trims flaunt a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

Toyota has also made sure to keep the occupants of the 2024 Tacoma entertained. A premium ten-speaker JBL audio system is available to equip, and it includes a new externally coupled subwoofer as well as a JBL FLEX portable speaker. When undocked, the latter serves as a Bluetooth speaker with up to six hours of playback time. Overall, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is grander, more advanced, and stronger than any other contender in the midsize pickup truck segment which is lucidly why it will dominate the American market.

Amal Shaw is a Visual Communication graduate and automotive aficionado. He is curious and enthusiastic about everything automotive, ranging from motorcycles to sports cars and pickup trucks.