The next-youngest contestant had small shoes to fill, and it almost missed even those expectations. Replacing the truck that no one took seriously - the V6-only T100 - the Tundra grew a few inches in every dimension, but it's still a bit on the small side and stuck with far-from-macho styling. Even worse, product planning had decided that the Tundra was to launch with nothing but a V6 until someone at a board meeting reportedly laughed and informed everyone that "if you don't have a V8, you might as well go home." So at the last minute, the Tundra was sent to its home state of Indiana with a V8 in hand, and - surprise, surprise - only 10% of customers have settled for the V6.
The Tundra was launched with a very limited selection of body styles and utility levels. Shopping at Ford or Chevy results in combinations too numerous to even keep track of, but the Tundra catered to the mass market by offering two choices, both spanning the same length and riding on one wheelbase: an extended cab ("Access Cab"), standard 6.5-foot bed model (the most popular configuration in the pickup class) and a downmarket work truck with no cab and an 8-foot-bed. In 2004, the lineup added a crew cab model ("DoubleCab"), on which length and wheelbase both go up a foot and all the extra space goes straight to the back seat. Bed space hardly suffers, shrinking by a quarter-foot. All of these models are half-tonners; Toyota makes no effort to butt heads with the Big Three in heavy-duty territory.
This, of course, makes the shopping process much easier, even more so because the trim lines of base, SR5, and Limited only combine with the body styles in certain ways. Unpopular Regular Cabs come as base models only, with either engine. Access Cabs come as an SR5 or Limited with either engine, while DoubleCabs are SR5 or Limited but V8 only. V6 trucks are the only ones that cannot be had with 4WD, and the only models that can be had with the 6-speed manual. Everything else gets an automatic, now with five speeds.
Stepping through the trim lines, the middle-end Tundra SR5 adds AC, tilt steering wheel, tachometer, variable wipers, carpeting, rear privacy glass, a color-keyed front bumper, and a chrome rear one. SR5 models with V8s add power windows, locks, and mirrors on the DoubleCab. Limited models add the power features to models that haven't received them by this point, plus keyless entry and a fancy stereo (JBL on DoubleCab).
What can she do? Naturally, the highest payload capacity gets assigned to the Tundra with the strongest motor carrying the lightest load: 2,025 pounds for the V8, 2WD regular cab. The 4WD Access Cab V8 scrapes the bottom with 1,210. Towing capacities range from an insignificant 4,800 pounds for a V6 Access Cab up to 7,100 for several V8-powered models with the Towing Package. Not exactly outstanding. Hmm, maybe there's some truth to this "seven-eighths full-size truck" accusation after all.
But Toyota seems to be working on that, one step at a time. Expanding the interior to create the DoubleCab was a good start. 2005 sees two more expansions, both under the hood: the 3.4 V6 gets replaced by a 4.0 V6, sending horsepower leaping by 55 (from 190 to 245) and torque by 62 (220 to 282). The V8 gets no change in size but adds VVTi valve timing, upping output from 245 to 282 horsepower. This feels like an upgrade more appropriate for a car than a truck (torque only goes up by 10), but who would complain about going faster?
The next Tundra will make no apologies, gaining yet more size, bolder styling, and an optional larger V8 to match everyone else's. Expect to see it for 2007, and a hybrid option is almost a guarantee.
|