Toyota prepares to roll out its new Tacoma pickup.
Luxury plus new off-road features will accompany 11 percent price hike
The long-awaited remodel of the Toyota Tacoma will make its debut in September with a snazzier interior, more off-road features and an 11 percent boost to its starting price.
The 2016 Tacoma — the brand’s first major redesign in a decade — will include features such as a GoPro camera mount, devices to block road noise and optional sunroofs and leather seating. It will also have 18 percent more horsepower in its V-6 engine, with a “bolder, more muscular design” geared toward off-roaders, said James George, Toyota’s marketing manager for the Tacoma.
“It definitely has a more modern feel to it, but at the same time it carries over the DNA of the Tacoma,” George said.
The new features come at a price.
Toyota announced recently that the 2016 Tacoma, made in San Antonio and Tijuana, Mexico, will have a starting price of $23,300 for a basic 4x2 model, up from the current $20,965. Enhanced editions of the 2016 model will have higher starting prices, ranging up to $37,820 for the 4x4 with a V-6 Limited engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Tacoma’s new starting price is higher than those of other compact trucks such as the 2016 GMC Canyon, which starts at $20,955, and the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, at $20,120. The 2015 model of the Nissan Frontier starts at $17,990.
Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst at Edmunds. com, doesn’t think the price hike will be a shock to consumers, noting that transaction prices for pickups have been rising recently as manufacturers meet consumer demand for more luxury features. Many pickup buyers will still be attracted to the Toyota brand and to the Tacoma’s reputation, including its high ratings for resale value, she said.
“We’ve seen transaction prices go up a lot for trucks,” Caldwell said. “I think the fact that the price has gone up is probably expected.”
The Tacoma’s new frills come in response to customer requests, George said. The 2016 model is also modeled after “a desert racer sort of vehicle,” he said, with new features such as “multi-terrain select,” which allows drivers to switch the vehicle’s settings based on what terrain it’s on, and “crawl control,” a sort of low-speed cruise control intended to help off-roaders concentrate on steering. Consumer surveys show that half of Tacoma drivers go off-roading, George said.
On top of that, the 2016 model will have a new mix of high-strength steel in its frame and V-6 engine capable of generating 278 horsepower, up from 236 in the 2015 model, according to a Toyota news release. The new engine will get 18 miles to the gallon in the city and 23 on the highway in the 4x4 automatic edition, up from 16 miles and 21 for the 2015 model.
The Tacoma has been on a hot streak so far this year. Sales volume has been rising at a double-digit rate since December.