After well over a decade on sale in more or less the same form, the Toyota Tundra has finally gotten an overhaul. Toyota just released all the specs for the new truck, which will get a completely new design, powerful turbocharged engines, and the refreshed technology that it has been sorely lacking for several years. There’s no pricing information to share yet, but Toyota says more will become available closer to the truck’s expected sale date later in 2021.
In place of the previous model’s V8, the new Tundra will be offered with two twin-turbo V6 engine options. The standard engine is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that makes 389 horsepower and 379 pound-feet of torque. The upgraded engine is a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 paired with an electric motor-generator that makes 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. The old Tundra’s V8 sounded nice, but both of the forced induction-fed V6 engines offer better specs than the outgoing eight-cylinder.
Toyota overhauled the interior with better tech and higher-end finishes. The clunky infotainment software from previous years is gone, and Toyota will install a brand-new system in its place. Menus and navigation should be simpler and smoother, and processing power is much improved over the old system. The standard touchscreen measures 8 inches, but a 14-inch touchscreen is available. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and a new cloud-based driver profile system allows owners to take their preferred vehicle settings for things such as audio and climate controls to other Toyota vehicles equipped with the latest infotainment software.
Safety is a big priority for the new Tundra as well. Every truck gets Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 as standard equipment, which brings a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control, automatic high beams, rear seat reminders, and road sign assistance. The Tundra also gets blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts as standard kit.