Next-Gen Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner Will Share Platform With Hilux: Report

Toyota is making some major waves in the truck world right now, and frankly, it doesn't happen very often. The third-generation Tundra just debuted after a 14-year relationship with the previous model. We also have the Tacoma, which dates back to 2016 in its current generation but received some small upgrades for the 2022 model year. However, the bigger news might be yet to come.

While similar in size and design to the Hilux, the US-focused Tacoma and 4Runner diverged from Toyota's famous global truck back in the 1990s. That will change for the next generation according to MotorTrend, which claims all Toyota's mid-sizers will utilize a shared platform once again. This is an unconfirmed report, as MotorTrend doesn't mention a source for its information. In an email to Motor1.com, a Toyota representative stated that no such announcement has been made thus far and the company doesn't comment on future products.

Though unconfirmed, it's highly unlikely these models wouldn't share the same bones. Plans have long been underway at Toyota to utilize its modular global platform for a variety of vehicles. Bumping the Tacoma and 4Runner to the F1 platform used by the new Tundra and Land Cruiser makes sense. Taking that platform global with Hilux, which currently uses Toyota's IMV platform, should offer significant cost savings.

If this is indeed the future for Toyota's trucks and SUVs, when will this come to fruition? That is still a mystery, but sometime in the next couple of years seems reasonable. While the current-generation Tacoma arrived in 2016, it wasn't a significant departure from the Taco all the way back in 2005. The 4Runner SUV is in the same situation, so both models are ready for a major makeover. And with the world shifting ever faster towards electrification, there isn't time for Toyota to spend another decade slow-roasting its off-road lineup.