The next-generation Toyota Tundra has been spotted on the road before, but today’s spy photos show us something truly new and different, thanks to some timely snaps of the new pickup’s undercarriage that very clearly show that this prototype is riding not on leaf springs, but coils. Plot twist! Get it?
While Toyota has done a decent job of keeping that rear end hidden from prying eyes, even in public, we now know that Toyota’s half-ton will join the Ram 1500 among the ranks of workhorse pickups with coil-sprung rear axles. The rear-end setup appears to be otherwise fairly conventional, which doesn’t necessarily rule out any other suspension shenanigans (such as an also-rumored air suspension option), but this is just one prototype, so we can’t draw more universal conclusions.
This prototype is likely wearing more production-ready body panels than previous testers we’ve spied, as Toyota’s camo has become more elaborate, rather than the opposite. There certainly appears to be a production-style grille living under that front flap, which looks to have cut-outs for driver assistance sensors.
There’s a lot about the Tundra replacement that we still don’t know, but as with the suspension overhaul, there have been credible-enough rumors swirling about other key components of Toyota’s full-sizer. The powertrain offerings have been the subject of intense speculation, for example, as we’ve heard multiple reports that Toyota is getting close to showing us a new turbocharged and electrified six-cylinder which could replace the range-topping 5.7L V8. We suspect that if a powertrain overhaul is in the works, the Tundra’s smaller 4.6-liter V8 (making 310 hp and 327 lb-ft) could be on the chopping block as well.
What’s more, the Tundra and smaller (and better-selling) Tacoma are both expected to migrated to this updated platform. While it would be extremely premature (and frankly unfounded) to suggest that the Tacoma might benefit from these suspension changes, we cannot rule it out, either. Just look at the Ford Ranger, which utilizes a coil-sprung rear end for its Raptor variant.
