It’s here! Take your first gander at the 2016 Toyota Tacoma

By Andrew Hard January 8, 2015

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma is debuting next week at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, and as of now, we know very little about the all-new pickup.

We do know what it’ll look like, however, because the first batch of official images have surfaced online in anticipation of the compact’s full reveal.

Overall, the truck doesn’t look all that different from the current model, which has remained painfully unchanged for over a decade (the second generation debuted in September 2004). To be fair, the ‘Taco’ has been America’s best-selling mid-size pickup for the last ten years or so, so there was never any rush.

The new model features a sharper, more modern front end, with redesigned headlights and an angular grill not unlike the Ford Fusion’s. The styling of the Double-Cab 4×4 shown is congruent with the full-size Toyota Tundra, but to be honest, we’d take anything at this point.

The brand promises “new, rugged tech” on the all-new Tacoma, and it will definitely equip a V6 option. Hopefully, it will use the 3.5-liter unit from the 2015 Camry. The engine produces 268 horsepower, 32 more than the current Tacoma’s 4.0-liter mill.

If we’re to take the big air dam below the front bumper as evidence, the Toyota will likely prioritize fuel efficiency. To be top dog, it’ll have to beat the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon’s 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway benchmarks. The current model manages 21 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway.

The Tacoma’s main competition will remain the Colorado/Canyon and the Nissan Frontier for the 2016 model year. It is expected to debut on Monday, so count on full details early next week.

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