The rollout of TNGA-F is unusually pathetic for such a corporate giant in Toyota.
The Tundra was definitely on schedule for August 3, 2020 start of production.
The impression I'm getting is that the board of management sat on their asses and didn't greenlight a new Tundra model program until 2015.
Shoved good ole Mike Sweers onto it, when many other engineers were probably available sooner than he could be. (he just finished heading 2016 N300 Tacoma [989A project])
(There were also no plans to redesign the 4Runner 5 years ago and it didn't change until an uptick in sales remained consistent.)
As I once expected, any unforeseen delays could and would push the Tundra back, into being a 2022 model in 2021.
Why am I mentioning the Tundra? See below.
Between the next Land Cruiser allegedly being delayed and this new Tundra, it means in both of them being the lead TNGA-F vehicles, they have a massive domino effect on the next generation of Toyota trucks & SUVs (not CUVs).
The next Tundra arrives in Q4 of 2021 (3 sources have confirmed this) as a 2022 vehicle.
The next Land Cruiser and LX are now 2023 models in 2022, if even sold stateside.
Next Sequoia is a 2023 model in 2022 as well.
The midsized Prado, GX, 4Runner are likely not arriving until 2023 as staggered release 2023.5 or early 2024 models. They are probably on schedule.
IMV and pickup redesigns are due in 2024 as 2025 models. Now that one bothers me, as the 2022 Tacoma N300 was supposed to end production in July 2022 and then be redesigned. Now...SMH. I cannot imagine them redesigned alongside big SUVs in 2022 nor the mid-SUVs in 2023.
Realistically, I don't see Toyota being able to even squeeze out more than 3 ALL-NEW trucks per year globally!
If anyone believes otherwise, please correct me on the feasibility of launching 4-6 different models on the same TNGA-F within 12 months.
That has never happened nor do even American automakers do so, unless products are fraternally twinned (between badges), like ToyLexus LXCruiser or Forincoln Navidition. It took 3 years for the latter to debut in 2017 after the aluminum F-150 in 2014.
The way around it is to again, stagger new model launches by many months apart or by a year.
Even for the large FWD TNGA-K, the lead vehicle XV70 Camry (010B program) went into production in June 2017, which affected vehicles like the 500B Sienna, that instead got another exterior refresh and barely enters production 33 months after the Camry in March 2020.
It was also the new 550B Highlander due in December, that is closely related to the next (2021) Sienna coming next spring, which affected Sienna cadence. And maybe the spring/summer 2018 launch of the new Avalon, which had to wait for the lead vehicle in the Camry to debut.
Company has shot themselves in the foot, by not getting to work quickly enough, pacing out launches well, and staying on time.
What is going to happen if it becomes a risk to launch new body-on-frame products that are not right for the marketplace by the middle of the next decade?
The time to fluidly launch new trucks was here and now, but with these Tundra and LC 300 delays, it will be messy. Toyota can not redesign the Tundra and 4Runner at the same time in 2021.
Even the Lexus LC 500 and LS 500, the lead RWD GA-L vehicles had to be spaced out from each other against respective March 2017 and December 2017 start of production dates.
A new Tundra should've been out 2-3 years ago, with a new 4Runner debuting this year or last year. Not the way things are going.
As usual a number of powerful people within Toyota have been cynical about how they approach the US market in regards to trucks and didn't commit to starting the program a decade ago like they should have.
Now they are playing catch-up and having to delay things, but didn't give themselves enough time in the first place, so shit is running behind and leaving customers wondering.
For all the folks who keep stating, "if ain't broke, don't fix it" or "I'm glad they aren't redesigning soon, I just bought my...", you better realize your personal insecurities over driving a dated model or self-absorbed luddite desires have never dictated how Toyota operated in the past nor are they relevant in the present.
Planned obsolescence, whether through vehicle improvements or reduced reliability (non-Toyota), has always been a staple.
Past generations of Toyota products in general have never run beyond 7 years, with the exception of full size Land Cruisers (1967-80).
The current vehicle is outdated and the decisions to not invest resources, in improving weak areas (5AT, fuel economy), is simply greed and corporate cynicism.
Corporate cynicism that coasts on the mentality of a few, that a contemporary product in the 4Runner, shouldn't be beholden to competitive market forces.
In the case of the FJ Cruiser or 70-Series, that's acceptable. The 4Runner is not a retromobile, so it has keep moving with time and stay relevant in execution.
The collapse of consistency within the Lexus brand, aging trucks, and half-hearted investment in FWD products (no AWD in some models), the choice to entrust BMW with a vaunted nameplate, says more than enough about what is happening.
If it is not a front-wheel drive bread & butter or a two-door "sporty" Lexus , very important personnel at Toyota couldn't give a shit about sticking to a timely model cadence with requisite updates in between.
To summarize, a new 6th generation 4Runner cannot debut the same year, TNGA-F launches in late 2021 on the Tundra. The Tundra will be solo.
It cannot be squeezed in with a new Land Cruiser, LX, and Sequoia either during 2022. Therefore, the year of 2023 only makes sense.
Back in 2006, the 3rd generation Toyota fullsize pickup, entered production that November. It launched in late January 2007.
The only products that followed, were the 2008 200-Series Land Cruiser, which Tahara production began 10 months after the Tundra in September 2007. Sales launch occurred in November 2007 for priority markets, with others following in Dec '07 and Jan '08.
2008 Sequoia went into production in November 2007 and was released in December 2007. 11 months after the 2007 Tundra.
Although not related (as will be the case on TNGA-F), the new N280 2010 4Runner didn't arrive until 33 months after the 2007 Tundra in October 2009.
This hopefully gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of spacing between the new products coming out between 2021 and 2025, plus this as well.
- Q4 2021: New 2022 Tundra
- Calendar Year 2022: New 2023 Model Year Land Cruiser 300-Series, 2023 Lexus LX, 2023 Toyota Sequoia
- Q1 2023 or CY 2023: 2023 1/2 or 2024MY 4Runner and/or Lexus GX, New Prado
- CY 2024 or Early 2024 New 2024/25MY Tacoma*, New Hilux and Fortuner
The last vehicles to be redesigned will be the Fortuner and Hilux in CY2024-25.
*Tacoma as of Q3 2019, is considered midcycle and is on schedule to be redesigned after 3-5 years. OG date was Q3 2022, Tundra delays could affect that.