Chicago: 2007 Toyota Tundra

[avant1963]

February 9, 2006 – Chicago - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., unveiled the all-new next-generation Tundra full-size pickup truck at a press conference today at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show.

The Tundra was first introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model. Since then, it has won numerous awards and has been recognized for its value, quality and reliability. The completely redesigned 2007 Tundra will be bigger, more powerful and will offer new body and engine configurations.

"From bumper-to-bumper, under the hood and from the inside out the new Tundra is a true American truck that will set a new benchmark in the full-size truck segment," said Jim Lentz, TMS group vice president and general manager. "It will be aimed at the ‘True Trucker,' the true opinion leaders among full-size owners. True Truckers are highly credible because they use, punish, and demand the most out of the pickups they buy."

The expanded size and power of the new Tundra will be reflected in its ability to tow over 10,000 pounds. To achieve this towing capacity every major component was designed for maximum strength, durability and reliability over the long haul. This will be accomplished with an all-new 5.7-liter i-Force V8 engine manufactured at Toyota's Alabama engine plant. The V8 will be mated to a new heavy-duty six-speed automatic transmission. In addition to the new powertrain, Tundra will also come equipped with heavy-duty front disc brakes with four-piston calipers and vented rotors increased by nearly one and one-half inches, and standard rear disc brakes. High capacity cooling and electrical systems will help Tundra tow heavy loads through the toughest weather. Finally, Tundra will ride on a new rock-solid chassis platform with 30 percent higher tensile strength steel.

Development of the new Tundra was spearheaded by Toyota's U.S.-based facilities. Product planning began at TMS headquarters in Southern California. All engineering development was directed by the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Styling, inside and out, was the work of Toyota's Calty Research and Design Centers in Newport Beach, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Finally, the new Tundra will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Princeton, Indiana and Toyota's new truck plant in San Antonio, Texas.

Tundra has been super-sized in every metric of comparison with the vehicle it replaces. Its all-new, full-size platform will feature a significantly expanded wheelbase and an increase of 10 inches in overall length. Tundra will also gain nearly five inches in height and will be four full inches wider than before, placing it among the segment leaders in overall size.

Buyers of the new Tundra will have a choice of three engines. In addition to the new 5.7-liter V8, the capable 4.0-liter V6 and the legendary 4.7-liter i-Force V8, both also built in Alabama, will be available.

The new Tundra will come in three cab configurations. It will retain its three-grade strategy with the Base, SR5 and well-appointed Limited trim levels. In all, Tundra will be offered in more than 30 different models, nearly double the current generation.

Calty designers set out to complement the new Tundra's increased size by creating a design with bold, brave and distinctive character lines that are different from anything on the road today. From the front, the new Tundra features a bold front grille, strong bumper and large headlights with a steely glare, conveying a strong and powerful physical presence. The profile reveals a thicker body and taller doors with character lines and fender flares that add dimension and strength as well as an unwavering stance.

Tundra's powerful and rugged exterior styling characteristics extend to the inside. A "command and control" center provides an unobstructed view of the instrument panel and puts knobs, switches and buttons within close reach of the driver.

All Tundra models will feature a class-leading, roomy passenger cabin providing front passengers with four inches more shoulder room. Two-row models will offer rear passengers nearly three inches more shoulder. Front passengers will receive nearly four more inches of hip room while rear passengers will enjoy six inches of additional hip room. Interior storage capacity is increased with the addition of hidden storage compartments, second-row seats that double as work surfaces (two-row models only), and a larger center console box.

For buyers who use their Tundra as a work truck quick and easy access to the truck bed is essential. The new Tundra will feature a tailgate that can be opened and closed with just two fingers. Robust dampers on the hinges have been added to help cushion the tailgate when opening and also help reduce bouncing when driving with the tailgate down. Other design features with workers in mind include large door handles, inside and out, easy-to-turn HVAC knobs, and adjustable headrests, allowing drivers and passengers to ride to their next work site without having to remove protective gear such as hardhats or gloves.

Designers also had safety in mind with the addition of extra large side mirrors to provide a wide field of view, while reducing wind noise and image vibration, always important when towing precious cargo. Additionally, a trailer hitch will be integrated into the Tundra's frame for better stability when handling heavy loads.

The Tundra will be loaded with standard-equipped comfort and convenience features. An array of options and accessories will also be offered, such as a JBL premium audio system with Bluetooth telephone compatibility, 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and a wide-screen backup camera integrated into the tailgate handle for enhanced rear-view safety.

"As much as the new Tundra has changed, there are a few things that remain the same," said Jim Press TMS president and COO. "Tundra will again offer the most comfortable, quiet and refined ride in the full-size truck segment. Its build quality, reliability, and durability will, again, be second to none."

The all-new Tundra will arrive in dealer showrooms in early 2007.

2007 TUNDRA PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

DIMENSIONS (inches)

Overall length: 228.7

Overall width: 79.9

Overall height: 76.4

Wheelbase: 145.7

TRUCK BED DIMENSIONS (inches)

Bed length 78.7

Bed width

(at wheel wells) 65.0

Bed width

(between wheel wells): 50.0

Bed width

(wall-to-wall): 65.0

Bed depth: 22.3

Edited February 9, 2006 by CSpec

[avant1963]

Has a very 1993 Dodge-y look to it.

The new Tundra is a bigger truck. The Tundra's wheelbase has been stretched 10 inches to 138.3 inches on the standard cab. The wheelbase on the Double Cab is 150.5 inches. The overall length grows about the same amount, ranging from about 228 to 240 inches. A new 5.7-liter V-8 joins the engine lineup. That engine should make more than 300 hp and be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It will join the current engines - a 4.0-liter V-6 that was rated at 236 hp for 2006 and a 4.7-liter V-8 that was rated at 271 hp. Towing capacity rated at more than 10,000 pounds. Three trim levels - base, SR5 and Limited - and three cab configurations, including the Double Cab. The options list will include a rearview backup camera and Bluetooth connectivity for cellular telephones.

http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/200...ra/pages/01.htm

It's better than the 2006 and will boost sales, but it is not making me "quake" in my boots. I'm not impressed with the "visuals" of the interior and the exterior, the more I look at it (except for the bad taillights) give me a Dodge RAM vibe.

Meh. M-E-H. Meh.

And the last time I was in a Silverado, I really wanted a place to but all my bills and medical records. Thank god Toyota gave us this!

I guess they really want to appeal to the "work" truck guy. I think it will take more than this.

Edited February 9, 2006 by CSpec

[Snate]

It's not very attractive and the interior design looks like an afterthought.

[CSpec]

The interior looks pretty cool; much more daring than its competitors.

[99camaroSS]

the truck itself looks like the killer tadpole from hell and the interior design looks ergonomically challenged, you would have to have ape arms to reach those ac and radio controls

[vineyard311]

Toyota already put them up on there website, click here

http://www.toyota.com/

and look for a their link on the bottom part of the page

That interior sucks, i expected more, no word on engine specs yet, theyll probobly be posted later in the day.

It looks like an out of proportion Dodge Ram

Edited February 9, 2006 by vineyard311

[vineyard311]

[toyoguy]

based on the specs its wider and taller than the F150.

seems like a larger truck but doesn't look like there is an 8ft bed.

[caddycruiser]

Hmm...I like it

I wonder, though, how do those back doors work? I mean, since there's a handle on the back...must be like a regular Dodge Quad Cab.

Get rid of those wheels and give me a different color, and I'd take one.

Edited February 9, 2006 by caddycruiser

[z28luvr01]

I'm not impressed with the "visuals" of the interior and the exterior, the more I look at it (except for the bad taillights) give me a Dodge RAM vibe.

Meh. M-E-H. Meh.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. Like the Ram, it's an attempt to make a truck that just oozes masculinity. Now let's all do our Tim Allen impersonations..."ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH"

And that center stack looks horrible. It looks like two different center stacks glued together down the middle.

[C.H.U.D.]

I don't like the front or the taillights. Also, the mismatched door handles llook dopey. I like the overall shape though. Props to Toyota for doing something different on the inside. I have faith that this thing won't beat the next Silverado though.

[toyoguy]

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/09/chicago...ith-new-tundra/

[TheMattMan]

The 5.7 liter is capable of 300+ horses, and towing capacity of 10,000.

Wheelbase of standard cab 138.3 inches, doublecab 150.5 inches.........overall length 228-240 inches.

Overall........

Interior - Horrible.

Exterior - Titan meets Ram with disasterous results......... the da*n truck looks disproportionate, or it could be on steroids.

Toyota - nice try.

[evok]

You ain't seen nothing yet.

[Variance]

You got to give Toyota this: You can't accuse them of outright copying anyone with the new Tundra (especially the schizophrenic interior...whoa...). I don't think the interior is particularly ugly, just...weird.

[99camaroSS]

I agree they did a good job as far as being original, if this truck looked like the old body style crew cab tundras with the underpinnings of this one i would be drooling all over it, but the skin just aint doin it for me

[jd2b]

You ain't seen nothing yet.

What about?? The Tundra or the GMT-900s?

[evok]

What about?? The Tundra or the GMT-900s?

I believe this is the Tundra thread! More to follow. This program is the real deal.

[BigPontiac]

With all the hype surrounding the new Tundra, I guess I was expecting more. I like that they used some chrome accents on the mirrors, but I truly HATE the forward hinged rear doors (a-la Dodge Ram). The body to glass ratio makes it look kinda pudgy too.

Dimensionally, it's about 2in WIDER than my Sierra and about 2in shorter in length, so I hope they plan on offering power-folding side mirrors as I have to be careful pulling into my garage bay as it is! Overall, I think the Nissan Titan was more "revolutionary" when it was introduced than this Tundra.

[regfootball]

ugly, odd proportions, ugly interior

but it will sell like hotcakes

GM's new trucks have a huge chance to come through looking good here IMHO.

this thing is a mutant.

[caddycruiser]

ugly, odd proportions, ugly interior

but it will sell like hotcakes

GM's new trucks have a huge chance to come through looking good here IMHO.

this thing is a mutant.

I really don't think it looks even remotely as close to "mutant" as, say, a new Navigator. That, and if the spy pics and recent releases say anything, the new GM trucks are set to come out looking clean and uncluttered, but also boring and plain to almost a fault...so don't anyone be overly anxious about those.

It actually looks like a new, crisp, interpretation of a truck, with a little bit of spice (not Ram flavor, but still...) thrown in.

And if you guys think this has odd proportions, I'm assuming you think bloated blobs like the G6 and Lacrosse are gorgeous?

Edited February 9, 2006 by caddycruiser

[91z4me]

WOW that is some great rear leg room!

[Petra]

And that center stack looks horrible. It looks like two different center stacks glued together down the middle.

THAT'S exactly what I was thinking!

Aside from the 6-Speed transmission, I'm not that impressed. Maybe my expectations were too high. It seemed like everybody was hyping this new Tundra as a earth-shattering, quantum leap over all it's competitors, past present & future. To me, it looks more like a thoroughly competitive truck in every way. The Tundra is, at last, a real truck. But it ain't no Domestic killer.

Then again, as Evok says, there is more than meets the eye. My guess? Toyota will launch with an extremely agressive pricing strategy, and is preparing heavy-duty models to debut in a couple years. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[pow]

Ewww... waaayy too butch, like it's butch for butchs sake. I think it'll lose some sales to its current conservative buyers. The current Tundra Double Cab is one of the most handsome and manageable full-sized trucks out there, IMO.

[cmattson]

I'm not sure it will sell like crazy for two reasons:

1) Nissan did this last year. 300hp + 9,500+ lbs. It didn't turn Detroit's world on edge. It garned some sales; but it didn't exactly deliver a "shotgun at point blank range to Detroit's chest" as some were quoted as saying.

2) Toyota has baggage. Yup--I said it. Just like Detroit does with cars. It's not quite so bleak, but it exists. Toyota, for the last decade-plus has advertised their T100, and then their Tundra as full-size. Chevrolet, not Toyota, has the title for the longest-lasting/most-durable + the best resale value. Chevy's '06 5.3l had virtually the same hp, way better torque, and still got better gas mileage. Tundra's legacy, to date, is that it's small, underpowered, and not as fuel-conscious.

3) Pickup truck owner loyalty is greater than car owner loyalty. That translates into Toyota/Nissan/Honda having a harder time picking up auto sales in the truck market than the domestics do in the car market.

4) What does the Toyota provide you that a current domestic cannot? Greater reliability? Even that's questionable nowadays. Matter of fact, when it comes to heavy-duty pickup trucks, Toyota doesn't have any repuation in this arena (within the US). What did Toyota do better? Fit and finish? From the looks of it, that isn't going to be a distinguishing factor anymore with the interior of the latest F150's and Silverado's.

I'm very curious to see how this affects Nissan Titan sales. I suspect that this isn't going to help them at all. With the Tundra's debut, I wouldn't be surprised to see their sales be fairly stagnant . What I can eventually see happening here is this: ever-diminishing profit margin. Toyota is going to agressively pursue this market; with prices and features that Detroit is going to have to match. That means diminished profit margins for everyone; something Detrioit can ill afford. That's the real concern with the Tundra.

Lastly: that gear shifter looks like it came out of Ford's part bin. I know all manufacturers do this, but when you see something this obvious, it just screams "rip-off", "copy-cat", or "wannabe".

[turbo200]

I can't see what's exactly underwhelming about this truck---as Petra put it, it's a thoroughly competitive truck, and Ford did it really well last time, so it was going to be impossible to blow anyone away. The exterior is my new favorite for trucks, F-150 and Silverado right behind it. Interior-wise, yeah I think they goofed that part, but I'll reserve a full opinion until i get more pics. As is, the F-150 is much cleaner and nicer aesthetically, imo. There's more to come as evok puts it.

[turbo200]

isn't that C-pillar design a lot like what Chevy did with the Cheyenne concept? Here's hoping they get some sporty sedan flavor in there and create something large, but curvy.

[ichbinjohnk]

It's a lot better than the Titan, that's for sure...

[Cory Wolfe]

Interesting. That interior is horrible. Those taillights are horrible. The rest... it's okay. Nothing spectalur, nothing terrible. It seems big.

[Flybrian]

One could easily say the current Tundra has attractiveness in its conservatism. Not for this one. Agreed with many that its paste-on macho with no sustance in the design.

[Cadillacfan]

Looks like a decent design. Much less vanilla then the current one. The real question is: Can GM build something better? Let's hope so.

[BlkHhr104]

Ok so they took at Ram, slapped on some Titan parts and threw in Forester headlights, looks good

[jbartley]

UGLY STEERING WHEEL

[boblutzfan]

I'm still waiting to hear some fuel economy numbers. I predict that the Silverado/Sierra duo will be best in class.

How many prius cars will have to be sold to offset the Tundra/Sequoia pair.

I am not impressed at all.

[toyoguy]

I really don't think it looks even remotely as close to "mutant" as, say, a new Navigator.

I'm really impressed, I expected it to be watered down. I love the exterior, though the interior is a bit too bold. Easily see it selling ~200k annually. Mostly at the expense of Nissan/Dodge.

This is the nicest piece I've seen from Toyota in a very long time.

exterior

http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/shows.a...40&galleryId=35

interior

http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/shows.a...22&galleryId=35

[red]

Sadly, I like it. It's got some toughness to it, some muscle, and it's not ugly and oddly-proportioned like the Titan. And that's one hell of an interior...you guys can't deny that. The overall construction of the dash, console, door panels et al looks incredibly solid. One gripe, though, is the plastiluminum covering the drivers side...won't it get all scratched up near the key fob?

Toyota did a very good job on this truck. It may not be the truck for most here, but if its priced right, this baby will sell, sell, sell.

[Angry Dad]

It will sell if Toyota finds a way to solve their piston slap problem.

Toyota and piston slap? Who would have thought it. Yep they got a problem.

[toyoguy]

IMO, truck was underhyped...I would have never imagined Toyota being so audacious. Toyota does want in the market, guess they have to be daring.

I'm guessing 325-360hp

Edited February 9, 2006 by toyoguy

[w00t_man]

The front looks like a constipated bulldog, and the interior is cheaper than dirt.

[AAS]

That dash design is interesting, but it seems like it puts the controls waaay to far from the driver. The fron end isn't the most attractive, but the rest looks clean (borderline cartooney).

[titan]

The interior looks pretty cool; much more daring than its competitors.

Yep.

[chevyman62]

The exterior is horrible. The front end is just weird and the bed is that awful concept design. The interior is alright, i guess, of course what do I know, I like GM's current truck interior and I don't think I'm suppose to.....

[CaddyXLR-V]

The front looks like a constipated bulldog, and the interior is cheaper than dirt.

Yes, it has that same bulldog look as the Element. It ruins the look of the whole truck.

[Northstar]

The interior is interesting, but I think most truck buyers would perfer something more simplistic like the GMT900s. The exterior isn't bad, but I'm not in love with it.

The engine seems strong enough, though we haven't seen final figures yet.

[sciguy_0504]

Of course credit will not be given when credit is due.

The exterior is top-notch. It has character and is not just your typical block of metal with the back half carved out. It has some lines and visual presence. My guess, based on the spy photos we have seen and the Tahoe interior photos, is that the GMT900 pickups will be feminine inside and out. Whether or not that is a good thing, who knows?

The interior is different, to say the least. The silver plastic is ugly, especially around the IP. I understand Toyota was trying to be different but it ends up being overdone and tacky. Aside from that, the rest of the interior looks nice. I am guessing this is either a SR5 model or a Limited in cloth form. I doubt the silver on the interior and the chrome on the exterior will be found on every model. I am also guessing this is an extended cab model and not the crew/double cab due to the rear legroom. The current Tundra double cab has more legroom than that and Toyota would not be going backwards. Like evok said, this is just the beginning of the Tundra program.

I cannot wait to see what GM brings to the table.

[Member55]

If they can sell 100K Tundras a year right now than the next gen. will sell 200K a year easily. They will get there step by step, one day they will sell as many pickups as GM and Ford. It might take another 3 or 4 generations but they will get there.

[balthazar]

Of course credit will not be given when credit is due. The exterior is top-notch.

You want credit for an opinion??

Here's another, equally 'correct' opinion: exterior is overdone and tacky AND derivative. Design is neither fluid or cohesive. Blind toyota loyalists will overlook that. Of course.

[turbo200]

I never imagined Toyota to put out an interior like this one....it's got too much going on and "looks" cheap near the IP, but most likely won't feel that way. I am still impressed with the exterior. Different flavors of different trucks are good, and i'm glad Toyota strayed a little from the pack while keeping the concept familiar.

[turbo200]

Of course credit will not be given when credit is due. The exterior is top-notch.

You want credit for an opinion??

Here's another, equally 'correct' opinion: exterior is overdone and tacky AND derivative. Design is neither fluid or cohesive. Blind toyota loyalists will overlook that. Of course.

credit to toyota, not sci guy.

[turbo200]

Of course credit will not be given when credit is due. The exterior is top-notch.

You want credit for an opinion??

Here's another, equally 'correct' opinion: exterior is overdone and tacky AND derivative. Design is neither fluid or cohesive. Blind toyota loyalists will overlook that. Of course.

credit to toyota, not sci guy.