Toyota unveils new Tacoma - The Detroit News
Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday unveiled an all-new 2016 Tacoma midsize pickup in an attempt to stay ahead in a suddenly crowded mid-size truck market. The Japanese automaker — which had 70 percent of all small-truck sales in 2013 — has dominated the segment since U. S. automakers exited the market following the recession. However, General Motors Co. re-entered the segment last year with by resurrecting its Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups. Now Toyota is rebuilding its midsize truck with a new powertrain and enhanced suspension tuning. "It's going to be everything the current one is, but we're going to raise the bar and make it better," Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division, told reporters. He said the Japanese automaker isn't worried about the increased competition in the mid-size segment. As part of the unveiling, Toyota also unveiled an off-road Tacoma TRD. The Tacoma will be powered by a 2. 7-liter four-cylinder engine and a segment-first 3. 5-liter Atkinson-cycle V-6 equipped with Toyota's D-4S technology, featuring both direct and port fuel injection. "The Tacoma redesign comes at the perfect time for Toyota, as fresh, new product is needed to defend its mid-size turf," said Akshay Anand, analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB. Source: www.detroitnews.com
