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New Toyota Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado/Canyon fight for midsize truck dominance

Sam Wedll has been driving his Toyota Tacoma pickup on the rugged roads of Northern California for seven trouble-free years, racking up almost 100,000 miles, so he’s interested in the redesigned version of the truck coming later this year. He paid $34,000 for his truck in 2016, loading it with plenty of options. HeÂ’s eyeing the new gas-electric hybrid Toyota Motor Corp. is going to offer, but Wedll, who does his own repairs, isnÂ’t interested in paying luxury prices. “The hybrid is pretty interesting to me because I like the idea of the fuel efficiency,” says Wedll, 47, a casino operations manager in Blue Lake, California. “IÂ’m just trying to save some costs wherever possible.” The Tacoma, known as the Taco to its legions of loyalists, is the leader of the pack in midsize pickups, one of the fastest-growing auto markets of the past decade. With outdoorsy weekend warriors and do-it-yourselfers looking for a truck that could fit in their garage, sales of midsize pickups more than doubled from 2010 to 2020. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., which abandoned the market segment when sales slowed early this century, returned with new trucks to take on the Tacoma, which has dominated the medium truck market for almost two decades. Although it's easy to predict that the most lushly appointed versions of the new Taco could approach $50,000 (prices wonÂ’t be announced until later this year), Toyota insists it isnÂ’t backing away from budget buyers even as it rolls out fancier trucks. The current Tacoma starts at $28,030, and the company says affordability is critical to its success. In fact, Toyota will continue to offer the Taco with an old-school stick shift. The Tacoma controls 42% of the midsize truck market and outsells FordÂ’s offering 4 to 1. ThatÂ’s a role reversal from the full-size pickup market, where FordÂ’s F-Series has ruled the road for 46 years. Tacoma sales in the U.S. surpassed 237,000 last year, more than twice the number of GMÂ’s No. 2-ranked Chevrolet Colorado, according to consultant LMC Automotive. But as growth in the overall segment slows, the midsize market is developing into more of a turf war, with manufacturers vying for the sweetest highest-margin spots. “This segment is likely past its prime growth spurt,” says Jeff Schuster, president of the Americas for LMC Automotive.

2014 Chevy Silverado details continue to dribble out

PickupTrucks.com has gotten its hands on a few more details concerning the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and the 2014 GMC Sierra. General Motors held a conference call on the two trucks, allowing Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer for both, to answer a few questions. Luke said truck buyers are largely concerned with power and fuel economy, and as such, GM will continue to explore new methods of providing both. That may translate into any number of drivetrain permutations, including light-duty diesel engines, eight-speed transmissions or even a twin-turbocharged V6.
What's more, both the 2014 Silverado and its GMC twin will boast a tow rating of 11,500 pounds, but only when equipped with a max-trailering package. Without that special package, the rating drops to 10,200 lbs for regular cabs and 9,700 lbs for crew cabs. Buyers will no longer be able to opt for a 4.10 gear ratio.
We're also excited to hear that GM plans on making the Z71 package into something more than just a few a stickers. While Luke didn't go into details, PickupTrucks.com says "it will get significant improvements in the future." Head over to the site for a quick rundown of the call's highlights.

2022 Chevy Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon get updated transmission

General Motors' full-sized SUVs have slipped in one more change before the year turns. GM Authority reports that the 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and the 2022 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL equipped with gas V8 engines, will pick up a revised ten-speed automatic transmission. The new unit carries RPO code MHS, and Chevrolet communications rep Catherine Scales told GMA the updated gearbox "allows our manufacturing and dealer teams to more easily align the specific calibration needed for the transmission and can enable OTA updates in the future." It seems GM wants to make it easier to update the transmission's tuning and calibration in the future with the automaker's networked Vehicle Intelligence Platform/Global B electronic architecture. The 10-speed auto comes bolted to the 5.3-liter V8 and the 6.2-liter V8. The 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax diesel continues with the 10-speed automatic already in use. To recap the other changes for the full-sizers, we'll start with the 2022 Tahoe and Suburban, which get a new 12.3-inch digital instrument display to replace the former 8-inch unit and physical gauges. Navigation will be standard equipment displayed on the 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen on all trims barring the base LS. Lane-keeping assist and parking sensors are also now standard, while reverse automatic braking is added to the Enhanced Display and Alert package on the top trims. Finally, the 6.2-liter V8 option is expanded to the Z71, RST and Premier trim levels, but it requires selecting one or more packages on the Z71 and RST. Moving onto the 2022 Yukon, availability of the 6.2-liter V8 expands to the AT4 trim, and the big V8 comes with a shiny pair of exhaust finishers. Redwood Metallic paint joins the exterior color palette, more wheel options are on offer, and illuminated sill plates can gussy up the rocker panels . An Enhanced Trailering Technology Package adds 13 cameras with the option for an interior accessory camera for those with enclosed haulers. On the safety side, expect reverse automatic braking to join the list of available driver assistance features. Inside, the Yukon welcomes the 12.3-inch digital cluster, the Yukon Denali welcomes the power sliding console as a standard feature instead of a $350 option.  Related Video: