Toyota hopes to stave off GM threat with all-new Tacoma - Los Angeles Times
Toyota to General Motors: Bring it on. The Japanese automaker delivered a counterpunch this week in the mid-size truck segment with the unveiling of an all-new Toyota Tacoma. The budding rivalry has fired up the mid-size truck segment, which had seen sales defect to crossover SUVs and full-size trucks. Nissan unveiled its long-overdue Titan XD full-size truck, Ford Performance brought out the 2017 F-150 Raptor off-road beast and Ram introduced a trail-friendly version of its 1500 truck called the Rebel. For the last decade, the previous-generation Tacoma dominated the mid-size truck world, while brands like Ford and Ram fled, citing weak demand. But with the Tacoma and Nissan's Frontier both aging, the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon leapt onto the market last year. The new 2016 Tacoma hopes to stave off that threat. Selling at a clip of about 150,000 a year, the Tacoma has a loyal fan base, especially in Los Angeles, where more mid-size trucks are sold than anywhere but Texas. With the new competition from GM, it's crucial for Toyota to get the new Tacoma right. The Tacoma "has a healthy amount of loyalty, but frankly it's a vehicle that's so long in the tooth, it's vital that they come out with a really solid. Source: www.latimes.com
