Toyota shares 4th-gen Tacoma shots

Toyota Motor North America has posted a single photo of a mysterious pickup truck standing under the night sky. There is no discerning the details in this one, but Internet users agree the vehicle is none other than the next-generation Tacoma.

The automotive giant submitted sketches of a very similar-looking truck to the patent database at the beginning of the year (you can find them further down the gallery below). In its next design iteration, the rival of the Honda Ridgeline and the Nissan Frontier looks a bit like a downsized Toyota Tundra. This applies to the front fascia design and the side view with sculpted lower door panels.

It is assumed that the Tacoma will be based on the TNGA-F platform of the latest Tundra and will be slightly larger due to the new chassis. The V6 option may drop from the powertrain lineup, leaving only two 2.4-liter petrol turbo four-pots to choose between.

The more wallet-friendly spec may come from the Highlander lineup and make 270 PS (266 hp / 199 kW), while the more powerful spec will most likely end up being a hybrid. An example from earlier would be the Lexus RX 500h, which uses a similar 2.4L turbo engine as a part of a hybrid system rated at 371 PS (366 hp / 273 kW).

Last but not least, a Tacoma EV may join the model range for the first time on record. Judging by the patent shots mentioned above, the company has already designed an all-electric variant of the truck based on a concept car from two years ago. It looks largely identical to the ICE version except for a solid front panel replacing the traditional radiator grille.