In an effort to streamline production and cut cost, Toyota has decided that all of its pickup truck will share the same platform. In practice, that will mean that new Tundra and new Tacoma will have the same DNA.
Despite the size difference (Tacoma is a mid-size pickup, while Toyota Tundra is a full-size one), both tracks will be built on a new F1 platform. It will be Toyota’s go-to solution for the next generation trucks for at least the next decade. Toyota Hilux will also be among vehicles based on F1.
The Japanese manufacturer has already adopted the same concept for its passenger cars and crossovers, which are based on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, commonly referred to as TGNA. This allows them to share many features and simplifies the production of crucial components.
Both Tacoma and Tundra are built in Toyota’s San Antonio plant in Texas. The shared platform will help the company by creating a more efficient production. The details about the new platform are still fuzzy at the moment since Toyota refuses to comment on future products.
Despite the all obvious advantages, a single platform does present significant challenges as well. The main issue would be size and weight. It would be crucial for Toyota’s engineers to create a platform that would be modular and allow for size differentiation, in order to accommodate various models. If that is not the case, Toyota would probably go for a smaller platform, since Tacoma is a sale leader and moves more units than tundra.
At this point, it is unclear whether the platform will be able to accommodate hybrid vehicles, but it is highly likely that it would because it wouldn’t make much sense for Toyota to develop another one just for hybrid trucks.
