The Toyota Tacoma, the best-selling midsize pickup truck in the U.S., receives minor changes to its model lineup and a modest price hike for 2011.
The most notable cosmetic update is a revised grille design that's expected to collapse the current two-bar grille to a single bar.
All regular cab Tacomas will include air conditioning as standard equipment, and 15-inch styled steel wheels will be standard on two-wheel-drive regular cab trucks. Models with the available six-disc CD changer will also come with integrated Sirius-XM satellite radio. A new Convenience Extra Value Package for double cab models adds cruise control, a sliding rear window with privacy glass, remote keyless entry and steering-wheel audio controls. All exterior colors from last year carry over except for Black Sand Pearl, which has been changed to (just) black.
Toyota has discontinued three low-volume manual transmission models and added five four-cylinder, four-speed automatic models. The new models are the Access Cab 4×2 PreRunner, Double Cab 4×2, Double Cab 4×2 PreRunner, Regular Cab 4×4 and Access Cab 4×4.
The entry-level regular cab 2011 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission will start at $16,365 before a $810 destination charge. That's a $1,020 price increase over the 2010 Tacoma. A fully equipped double cab V-6 five-speed automatic Tacoma with four-wheel drive and a long bed will start at $27,525, up $275 from 2010, before $810 destination.
Toyota offers two engines for the Tacoma. The base 2.7-liter double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder produces 159 horsepower and 180 pounds-feet of torque, and the powerful 4.0-liter DOHC V-6 makes 236 hp and 266 pounds-feet of torque. Certain V-6-equipped models can tow up to 6,500 pounds.
Production of the 2011 Tacoma is expected to start July 6 at the Tacoma's new home in San Antonio, at the same factory that builds the full-size Toyota Tundra.
The first 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks should arrive at dealers by the end of July.
[Source: Toyota]
