Grilles Gone Wild: The Internet reacts to the 2022 Toyota Tundra

Article content

After an eternity of drip-drop teasers, Toyota has unleashed its new full-size truck. It’s still called the Tundra, of course, but that’s about all it shares with the old pickup — save for the continued availability of the tremendous full-width retractable rear window.

Article content

Our own Derek McNaughton has a full rundown of changes, so be sure to head over there for details about powertrain and suspension changes.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Grilles Gone Wild: The Internet reacts to the 2022 Toyota Tundra Back to video

The most visible of alterations? Its styling, naturally. Toyota largely stayed the course for 14 long years with the old Tundra, making this type of redesign more significant than most.

Since the internet is a sewer wealth of opinion and judgment, we donned our Postmedia hazmat suit (standard company-issue) and waded into the minefield of comments about this new player in the cutthroat full-size truck market.

There’s no shortage of commentary about that maw of a grille:

Article content

Article content

Article content

Article content

But there are plaudits about the interior, a place where the driver spends 100 per cent of their time.

It should be noted the new Tundra has, by diagonal measure spanning a vast 14 inches, one of the largest infotainment screens in its class. Orientated in landscape fashion like the new F-150 instead of vertically like the Ram 1500 gives ample acreage for digital displays.

Article content

Article content

Article content

In addition to conquest buyers, there’s a solid chance there will be more than a few repeat customers opening their wallets when this thing goes on sale. Truck buyers are, traditionally, a very brand-loyal lot but those absolutes seem to be on the wane. Many people buy pickups as their main family vehicle, and brand loyalty is less of a concern to Joe and Josephine Consumer than it is to diehard truck fans.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Though someone made an excellent point about other possible uses for these new powertrains. Anyone fancy a 4Runner with nearly 600 lb-ft of torque?

While it is true the 4Runner has long since paid for its development costs and is now basically a license for Toyota to print money, it would up the model’s game even further if it suddenly found itself in command of Tundra’s new engines (and, yes, we realize the limits of 4Runner’s platform — it’s nice to dream).

Article content

We’ll also take this opportunity that, back in the mid-’90s, Toyota floated the idea of calling itsnew truck the ‘T150’ which predictably sent everyone at Ford into a snivelling tizzy. This explains the eventual nod to the frozen north. Fun fact: in exchange, the Blue Oval agreed to drop the numbers from its then-new LS6 and LS8 sedans (Lexus has sold the LS 400 sedan and its variants over the years).

[We’re going to give the last – and best – reaction to Driving.ca contributor Brendan McAleer, whose truck apathy is matched only by his wit, as evidenced by his Tweet below. —Ed.]

Article content