Toyota Teases Manual Transmission For 2024 Tacoma
Manual transmissions are alive and well on a number of enthusiast cars, namely the hotter offerings like the Honda Civic Type R or the Toyota Corolla GR hatchback. However, on pickups, that's a different story: most manufacturers have done away with a "standard" transmission altogether on trucks. However, the next generation 2024 Toyota Tacoma is still fighting the fight to keep a stick.
According to a press release from Toyota, the newest Tacoma will keep a six-speed manual transmission. It's worth noting that a manual transmission is only available on a select few trims for the current 2023 Tacoma, and is completely absent on the base "SR" trim.
Manual purists will likely rejoice at the continued inclusion of a six-speed manual. For everyone else, the new generation offers a lot of tweaks and improvements over prior Tacoma models. Although exact details are scarce, Toyota has teased a few other aspects of the new truck.
Perhaps the biggest update is i-Force Max electrification. The current full-size Tundra trucks benefit from hybrid technology by way of an additional electric motor. It is not known in what form i-Force Max technology will take on the 2024 Tacoma.
A tailormade trail Tacoma
For the outdoors and overlanding focused, Toyota revealed a new "Trailhunter" trim for the Tacoma. From teaser images, you can glean that the trim will feature a lot more than just unique badging and plastic bumper covers. Images show bumpers from ARB, as well as tow hooks bolted directly to the frame, and likely all manner of skid plates and rock guards that one would expect from an overlanding truck. It's unknown how the Trailhunter trim will fit in the lineup compared to existing TRD Pro trims.
If the sounds of nature are not your thing, Toyota has announced that the new Tacoma will be available with a JBL Flex Bluetooth speaker that has its own dedicated storage area inside the dashboard of the truck.
With the 2024 Tacoma, Toyota seems to be targeting the off-roading, camping, and overlanding crowd much more than prior generations. Ford has done this with the current Bronco, going as far as providing maps for off-roaders, and Jeep has historically made an entire business out of it with the Wrangler.