Toyota has revealed that the next-generation Tundra is already in development and the full-size pickup truck will be the next vehicle to be overhauled by the Japanese automaker.
With the booming popularity of pickup trucks, Toyota recognizes the need to step up its game in order to compete with the likes of Ford, Chevrolet and Ram, who are currently dominating the segment.
"I don't think there's [a] much higher priority than that," Jack Hollis, vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor North America, told AutoGuide, adding, "Tundra has been out for plenty of time so we're looking at what the new one would look like."
Hollis did not reveal specific information as well as when consumers might be able to expect the new Tundra. However, the publication noted that Toyota will most likely prioritize quality and dependability when developing the upcoming pickup truck. After all, the nameplate has proven itself to be a model that is built to last.
In 2016, Toyota celebrated a customer who was able to drive his Tundra for over one million miles — with minimal maintenance and all of its original parts intact. At the time, the automaker said that the truck's longevity would provide invaluable insight for Toyota's future products.
With that in mind, Hollis mused, "How do we take that million miles, that ability to produce a product like that and take it to the new one?"
Development of the next-generation Tundra is likely to still be in the early stages so it remains to be seen how Toyota will be able to apply what they have learned.
As for possible specs, Top Speed speculated that the Tundra's 5.7-liter i-Force V8 engine could be given an updated fuel system for increased efficiency. The current model's six-speed automatic transmission could also be replaced with either an eight-speed or 10-speed automatic gearbox. Similar to Toyota's new vehicles, the next-generation pickup truck will most likely be offered with active and passive safety features such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a backup camera.
The next-generation Toyota Tundra is speculated to arrive in 2019.
