For the second time Toyota has applied the brakes to their upcoming heavy-duty Tundra, thereby putting this project on hold. This is not surprising given the state of the large truck market these days.
What is somewhat surprising (to me at least) is that Toyota will replace the 4.7 V8 with a smaller 4.6 V8 by 2010. This engine is said to offer 30 more horsepower and deliver 2 more mpg than the current 4.7 I kinda expected the 4.7 might grow into a 5.0; looks like I might be wrong.
With this news of the HD Tundra being tabled, I can't help but wonder if Toyota might offer a beefed up payload option for the current Tundra, sort of a low-cost/low-risk compromise if you will. By that I mean offer a Tundra with a sub-8600 GVW, much like what Ford offers with their F-150's 8100 GVW option. A heavy-duty payload package like this would certainly appeal to contractors, especially when the 4.5 diesel arrives.
orangutan says:
10:01 AM, 08/11/08
Well, I'm glad they're replacing that outdated and inefficient 4.7 at least.
greenpony says:
12:57 PM, 08/12/08
4.6 must be a magic number. Ford, Cadillac, Hyundai, and now Toyota will have similar-displaced V8s. Figure about 330 ft-lbs and about 310 hp.