Toyota will be presenting a refreshed version of its Tacoma pickup truck at the Chicago Auto Show next Thursday, February 7, at 11am Eastern time.
The shadowy teaser accompanying the announcement shows some light changes to the front end with new headlamp units and a wider grille with a narrower frame, but that’s about it.
While that’s not much to go on, as Toyota did not disclose any further information, it’s evident that the 2020 Tacoma builds upon the last redesign done four years ago for the 2016MY, so don’t expect any ground changing exterior alterations.
Some interior updates are likely to be served too, bringing the Tacoma’s technology features more in line with Toyota’s latest products.
Dealers are rubbing their hands
A more important aspect of the introduction of the 2020 Tacoma will be the ramp up of production at the San Antonio facility, as Toyota explained in its three-plant strategy. Autonews reports that Toyota has struggled to meet demand for the mid-size truck in recent years, all while Tacoma sales continued to surge, with the brand selling 245,659 units in 2018, a 24 percent increase over 2017.
Last year, the Tacoma was the fourth most popular pickup truck in America with an 8.3 percent stake in the overall market, trailing only the ‘Big 3’ – Ford’s F series, Chevrolet’s Silverado and Ram. What’s more impressive, though, is that not only did it beat the larger GMC Sierra, but also the combined sales of GM’s direct rivals, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, clutching a 47 percent share in the growing mid-size pickup market.
Now with the production problems seemingly resolved, Toyota and it dealers have every right to be even more optimistic about the Tacoma’s future.
2019 Toyota Tacoma (above) vs 2020 Toyota Tacoma Facelift (below)
