Toyota Welcomes More Compact Pickup Competitors

DETROIT – Toyota likely sets an auto-show speed record here at the introduction of its redone ’16 Tacoma compact pickup.

The truck hits the stage within seconds of the start of a press conference at the North American International Auto Show.

“We usually start out our Detroit press conferences by telling you what a great year we had, how many cars we sold and how excited we are about the coming year,” says Bill Faye, group vice president and general manager of Toyota’s U.S. unit. “But you guys don’t care about that,” he says. “You came to see the Tacoma, right?”

And with that, the vehicle shows up, prompting Faye to say, “This truck is bad a**.”

Toyota has built trucks for the U.S. market for 50 years and the Tacoma for 20. Although it comes from a Japanese automaker, the upcoming version is all-American. It was designed in Newport Beach, CA, engineered in Ann Arbor, MI, and will be built, beginning in late August, in San Antonio, TX, as well as in  Mexico.

The Tacoma has been a big fish in a small pond as the leader in a relatively small-volume U.S. segment.

Compact pickup truck sales have dwindled in the last decade. In 2005, the segment accounted for 694,942 deliveries, or 4.1% of the U.S. light-vehicle market, according to WardsAuto data. Sales steadily declined each year since then.  

In 2013, small pickup truck deliveries were at 244,834 or 1.58% of the market.

Ford, Dodge and General Motors abandoned the segment in the past decade. They left because of the decline, but their absence exacerbated it, leaving Tacoma with 60% of the market followed by only two other contenders, the Nissan Frontier and the Honda Ridgeline.

But things got interesting when GM returned to the segment a few months ago with the redeveloped Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Since October, those two nameplates have sold a combined 11,073 units.

Is Toyota looking over its shoulder at the new competitors from GM?

“I don’t think so,” Faye tells WardsAuto at the Tacoma’s debut. “We’ve really dominated that segment for a long time. We have a loyal owner base.”

To a presumed limited extent, he’d like to see even more automakers join in.

“Having more entries would create more interest in that segment, and that’s a win-win for everyone,” Faye says. “The segment would expand some and our sales would expand.

“The full-size pickup segment is over 2 million, so we are not going to take a run at that, but if the compact-truck segment gets to closer to 300,000 or above, that’s nice growth and a nice niche for entries that are in it.”

Some analysts see the beginnings of a dog fight.

“The tricky part for Toyota is that most of this truck was developed before GM released its versions, so its fundamental design was already set,” says Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “The Tacoma is the dominant truck in this segment, with a loyal following, which should make for quite a sales and market-share battle.”

But historically consumers minimally cross shop Toyota and Chevrolet in general and their trucks in particular, Faye says. “Now, I’m sure there will be some comparisons. That will help the segment to grow. If they find out about our truck, that’s good for us.”

The new truck arrives at dealerships towards the end of the year.

At the Tacoma’s auto show coming-out event, Toyota touts its rugged appeal as a fun vehicle for the outdoors set, off-roaders and the like.

“Inspired by a sleek desert race truck, the Tacoma is all about recreational action and athletic agility,” Faye says during his presentation following the new truck’s quick appearance.

On the sidelines afterwards, he says that although many people perceive the Tacoma as a recreational vehicle, plenty of others buy it for work or utilitarian purposes.

Toyota offers five trim levels including the topline TRD 4X4 OffRoad model.

“If you want to use the Tacoma for work, you can,” Faye says. “If you want to use it for stuff around the house, you can. But we have a lot of active outdoor people buying it, and that’s become the image of the truck.”

An overwhelming number of buyers, about 70% to 80% are men, “and a fair amount of them are young males,” he says.

The ’16 model includes a new frame, engine and transmission.

The frame is of tougher steel designed to enhance rigidity and overall strength. Ultra-high-strength steel is integrated into the body shell using a new hot-stamping process that reduces weight.
The suspension is fine-tuned to help deliver a smoother on-road ride and a more-capable off-road experience.

There are two powertrain offerings: a 2.7L 4-cyl. engine and an all-new, segment-first 3.5L Atkinson cycle V-6 equipped with Toyota’s D-4S technology. It features direct and port fuel injection.
Both engines are paired to a new 6-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift designed for delivering quick and easy shifting. The V-6 can also be mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission. 

Body designers styled wheel flares for a stronger look and higher lift. Faye says the front end portrays an aggressive attitude with a bold upper grille and a taller, more muscular hood. 
The new locking tailgate is designed to emphasize a wide stance and tough image. The tailgate features an integrated spoiler for improved aerodynamics.

The tailgate also has an easy-lowering feature, which allows it to slowly retract, preventing it from slamming down.

For the first time, the Tacoma is available with a tri-fold hard tonneau cover for securing bed contents.

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