All-New 2022 Toyota Tundra Is The Full-Size Pickup The PH Won’t Get

The all-new 2022 Toyota Hilux has just been unveiled in the United States, and it’s a full-size pickup that the Philippines will probably never get. Designed by Americans for Americans, the all-new Tundra is now on its third generation, replacing the previous model that’s nearly 15 years old at this point.

In the U.S., there’s no denying the popularity of the Ford F-150, which has been America’s best-selling full-size pickup and the best-selling vehicle, selling 787,372 units last year. The Tundra, on the other hand, only managed to sell 109,203 units, which is small, sure, but it still has a strong following. With this all-new generation Tundra, Toyota aims to increase its market share in the full-size pickup segment even more.

For starters, the exterior is completely different from the previous model. The 2022 Toyota Tundra features an aggressive front fascia that’s characterized by its large grille flanked by T-shaped LED headlights. Its blacked-out A-pillars, sculpted hood, bulging fenders, and squared-off wheel arches give it a sleek yet rugged side profile. The rear end meanwhile, features an integrated rear spoiler on the bed’s tailgate, a debossed Tundra logo, and a three-dimensional LED taillight design.

Speaking of that bed, it features a Sheet Molded Compound (SMC) and the use of reinforcing aluminum cross members in the bed. This allows the bed to be lightweight and have better protection from dents and corrosion. Its bed does not have some of the F-150’s party tricks such as the onboard generator, however.

The interior of the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra is also radically different from the previous generation model. Interior quality has been improved in order to fully compete with the Ram 1500’s benchmark interior quality. In addition to this, the all-new Tundra features Toyota’s first-ever application of a fully digital instrument cluster, 12.3-inch to be precise. Drivers can even choose from five start-up animations, featuring some of America’s national parks.

Also new for a Toyota is the all-new Audio Multimedia infotainment system, which comes in either 8- or 14-inches in screen size, depending on the variant. This system features Toyota’s first-ever application of an intelligent voice assistant, which means you can ask the system to perform various tasks in the same way you would with Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri.

Also new for the 2022 Tundra is its powertrain. Gone is the non-turbo 5.7-liter V8 gasoline engine. In its place is a smaller but more powerful 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine in two configurations. The base version produces 389 hp and 649 Nm of torque. The other is that same engine but mated to an electric motor. Yes, the Tundra is available for the first time.

While this powertrain offers better fuel economy, its main benefit is copious amounts of torque thanks to assistance from electric motors. Combined system output is 437 hp and 790 Nm of torque, which is best-in-class. As a matter of fact, while it has 13 hp less than the F-150 Raptor, it has 99 Nm more torque.

Regardless of engine choices, all come with a 10-speed automatic. In the case of the hybrid, the electric motor is placed in between the engine and the gearbox, letting it act both as an electric assist, energy regeneration, and electric-only driving.

Another radical departure from past Tundra models is its new platform. Because it is based on the all-new Land Cruiser 300, it now has a multi-link coil spring rear suspension, which replaces the traditional leaf springs found in most pickups. This makes the Tundra one of the only few full-size pickups to ditch leaf springs. As a result, ride comfort, straight-line stability and overall handling dynamics are improved significantly.

Toyota also managed to improve the Tundra’s towing capacity by 17.6 percent over the previous generation, and it now stands at 5,443 kg. The maximum payload increases to 880 kg, which is an improvement of more than 11 percent compared to the previous generation.

For the first time ever, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra can also be equipped with air suspension at the rear axle. This comes with three different ride heights: Low, Normal, and High. Low is recommended during loading and unloading, while High is designed for clearing obstacles at up to 29 kph. In addition to this, the Tundra can also be equipped with Adaptive Variable Suspension, which monitors road conditions and driving habits, thus adjusting its damping and body control for better ride and handling.

As with most modern cars nowadays, the all-new Tundra comes as standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive radar cruise control, lane departure warning, lane centering, automatic high beams, and emergency steering assist. Blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, road sign assist, and rear automatic braking are also available on higher variants or as an option on lower trims.

The all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra will go on sale in North America before the end of 2021. Would this pickup truck be a viable Ford F-150 competitor in the Philippines?