2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Will Bring Better Towing Capacity and Fuel Economy

The current-generation Tundra has been around for more than a decade. With such age, the only way to make it more competitive is to improve some of its weak points. In this particular way, that would mean better fuel economy and towing capacity. In these two aspects, the current model definitely can’t keep the pace with much younger rivals. Therefore, we are about to see the 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel.

For the first time, Tundra will come with an oil burner. This promises lots of benefits, but a higher price as well. Rest of the truck should continue in the same way. We are about to see a familiar design that has been around for years. Count on minimal changes only, like new standard features and similar things. Despite the new engine, Tundra Diesel shouldn’t arrive before the last quarter of next year, according to most reports.

2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Engine

The engine will be the most important novelty for the next year by far. Although this will be the first time to see current-generation Tundra with a diesel unit, the engine by itself is pretty familiar. It comes from the renowned diesel engine maker Cummins and it is practically the same unit that powers Nissan Titan.

Count on same specs, which would mean displacement of 5.0 liters and a max output of 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. The new engine will make this truck better in two most critical aspects. The 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel towing capacity will be much better, as well as the fuel economy, which is currently the lowest in class.

How much will 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel be able to tow?

As we’ve just mentioned, one of the biggest benefits of a new diesel engine will be better capabilities. The current gasoline model can tow up to 10.200 pounds, which is among weakest results in the class. With the new oil-burner, things should be much better. We still don’t have the exact specs, but we count on similar ratings as for the rival from Nissan. This means that the 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel towing capacity will probably go somewhere between 12.500 and 13.000 pounds, which are quite respectable numbers.

Besides better working capabilities, the 2020 Toyota Tundra Cummins will also provide much better fuel economy, which is also the lowest in class. Base models return around 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. Things are even worse with a more powerful 5.7-liter engine.

Which are the alternatives for a new diesel model?

Besides a new oil-burner, the 2020 Toyota Tundra will be in the offer with two very familiar gasoline engines. Both feature eight cylinders and both have been around for years. Also, both engines are powerful but also incredibly thirsty which, in our personal experience, is a thing that doesn’t bother Tundra drivers so much, particularly because of some kind of supernatural reliability of these two units.

Base models will continue with a smaller 4.6-liter V8, which is good for about 310 horsepower and 327 pound-feet of torque. Higher trims feature a bigger and more powerful 5.7-liter V8, which features a max output of 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque.

Both engines are paired with 8-speed automatic transmission.

2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Design

There has been a lot of talk about this model in the past few years and pretty much none of 2020 Toyota Tundra rumors suggest bigger design changes. The current generation may be around for way too long time, but the last update was relatively recently, three years ago. For that occasion, we have seen a lot of updates in terms of aesthetics, but also a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Also, you can read several reports that suggest Toyota has already started with the development of a new generation, which should arrive in about two years. All in all, plenty of reasons to believe that 2020 Tundra won’t feature any important change except, of course, new diesel engine.

In practice, this means we can count on two familiar body styles, Double Cab and CrewMax, as well as on three bed sizes – 5.5-foot, 6.5-foot, and 8.1-foot beds.

2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Interior

Once again, don’t expect bigger changes. Despite a new diesel version, the 2020 Toyota Tundra interior won’t change. In practice, this means the same cabin, which comes with capacity for either five or six people, depending on the first row you choose. As we’ve mentioned, there are two cabin design – Double Cab and CrewMax. In both cases, you can count on plenty of legroom in both rows, which isn’t the case with most other models in the class.

The overall interior quality is at a high level. There is nothing big to complain about. However, aesthetics started to show their age. The dashboard looks old, but that doesn’t mean you can’t count on latest tech features. Even the most basic versions are equipped with things like a touchscreen interface, six-speaker audio, USB ports, CD player etc. In higher trims, you get a bigger touchscreen, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable seats, premium audio system and much more. Speaking of trim levels, you can count on a familiar organization. That would include SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum and 1794 Edition. Latest reports suggest that a new diesel engine will be available across the whole range.

On the other side, things about the off-road, TRD Pro version are still uncertain. Many experts believe that this version will also feature a new diesel engine in the offer. However, a bigger number of this suggest that this model will remain available exclusively with a gasoline engine.

2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Safety

This is the aspect that Tundra definitely beats its competition. This truck comes with more standard and available safety features than any other in the class. The company’s famous Safety Sense suite of advanced systems in standard across the whole range. This package includes systems like forwarding collision warning, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control etc. A rearview camera is also a part of standard equipment. Features like parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring are also available.

2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel Release Date and Price

If we can rely on latest reports, the new model will come sometime in the second half of next year. More precise details about 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel release date should be known soon. Same goes for the 2020 Toyota Tundra Diesel price. It will definitely be higher compared to gasoline models, which start at 31.500 dollars. Most likely, base trims with diesel engine will go around 35.000 dollars.