2022 Toyota Tacoma Will Be Made in Mexico, Possible Redesign

Considering that it’s about the most popular mid-size pickup truck on the market, it’s no wonder that the latest reports about the 2022 Toyota Tacoma draw a lot of attention, starting from those that have been officially confirmed to those reports that are based mostly on rumors.

When it comes to things that have been officially confirmed, the Japanese manufacturer has announced that the production is moving to Mexico. On the other side, the number of unofficial reports is huge. Of course, many of them speculate about the redesign and all the novelties that overhaul could bring. At this point, these are just rumors and the company is pretty quiet on that matter. Still, that won’t prevent us from making some of our own predictions for the 2022 Toyota Tacoma, which you should take with a big reserve. Also, there are numerous reports about all kinds of new powertrain options, particularly in terms of hybrid and diesel variants.

Toyota Is Moving Production to Mexico

One of the biggest news we have received recently is that the Japenese manufacturer won’t produce this popular pickup truck in Texas anymore. Instead, the company will move production to Mexico. There are several reasons for such a move and one of the first that comes to mind is that the company wants to make production cheaper and make an even bigger profit, which makes perfect sense. Also, keep in mind that the new generation of Tundra, which is produced in the same assembly, is about to come completely redesigned in the next year. As the company expects a much bigger demand for the new truck, production would require additional capacities. Besides Tundra, the Japanese manufacturer will produce the next-generation Sequoia in the same assembly as well.

A great thing to know is that these changes won’t leave any worker without a job, as the company plans additional castling in factories in Alabama and Indiana. Toyota will move Tacoma production to Mexico in late 2021.

2022 Toyota Tacoma Redesign

When it comes to unconfirmed reports, most of them talk about the redesign. The current generation has been around since 2015 and if we consider that the previous model was in production for a full decade, it seems that the current model could remain in production for several more years. However, one of the indicators for a possible redesign is the recent update, which wasn’t very generous in terms of changes and novelties. Expectations were pretty big but the mid-cycle update has eventually brought nothing more than a new grille and a couple of interior tweaks.

Another thing that clearly indicates the 2022 Toyota Tacoma redesign is the fact that the new F1 platform that will debut in the next-generation Tundra is designed to be highly modular. Among many body-on-frame models, it will be used for the new Tacoma as well and if consider that the new architecture is ready, the development process will last much shorter. So, there is no reason to wait for several more years to see a complete overhaul, especially if we consider that the competition is getting stronger every year.

Finally, it doesn’t make too much sense to continue with the same model in a completely new production line. This move to Mexico obviously indicates a complete overhaul.

What to expect from the 2022 Toyota Tacoma Redesign?

No matter when the new generation is about to come, there are some changes and novelties that seem pretty much certain. Of course, one of the first things that come to mind is a new platform. The new model will ride on the aforementioned F1 platform. Also, we expect that the 2022 Toyota Tacoma will feature a fully-framed design, which would be highly beneficial in terms of capabilities, particularly in terms of max towing capacity, which isn’t Tacoma’s strongest point at the moment. Also, the new platform should bring improvements in terms of weight savings, better efficiency, better driving experience etc.

Hybrid Powertrain

One of the things about the 2022 Toyota Tacoma redesign that seems pretty much certain is an electrified powertrain. More precisely, we count on a typical hybrid setup. Such powertrain is already on the way for the new Tundra, so it seems natural to see it in this model as well.

At this point, there are to possibilities in the game. The first one is to see a smaller, four-cylinder engine coupled with electric motors, with a focus on efficiency. This would probably be a system that is similar to one that powers the new Highlander, which combines a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and electric motors and features a max output of around 240 horsepower and more than impressive fuel economy that goes way over 30 miles per gallon.

To see such numbers in the new Tacoma would be a great thing, but the tricky thing is the max towing capacity. In order to be competitive with diesel rivals, the 2022 Toyota Tacoma would probably need something more powerful, so a V6-based hybrid system is also an option.