2022 Tundra Hands On

Details: By Phillip Jones

It was a Thursday night in Texas. We were on the trendy rooftop pool and dining area of the Renaissance Plano Legacy West Hotel where Toyota was holding a private event just a mile from their headquarters. We were elevated enough to have a clear view of the sunset dimmed by the smokey skies.

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Surrounded by manned stations of exquisite food and an open bar, the small gathering of automotive journalists was busy interacting with the Toyota Marketing and Product team members, who were all quite enthusiastic about this Tundra.

That high energy radiating from the Toyota crew was even more apparent the next morning as we arrived at the secret reveal location. We were seated before a large stage with 2 fully covered Tundra trucks. The sheets were yanked off and the trucks started rotating on large discs, all beneath stage lights while loud music was played. This press reveal was quite the spectacle. After the trucks stopped spinning and the music halted, one-by-one, key people involved in this project took their turn on the stage to provide us with their backstory on how this truck came together. They covered a wide range of topics, like reminding us that Toyota is active in the outdoor recreation industry, explained the 3D chiseled look of the exterior to disrupt flat surfaces, how they improved the throttle, and the science behind the aero advantage of the tailgate spoiler and the little wings by the taillights.

Toyota had to change their working model in order to reinvent their full-size pickup. They focused on fuel economy, ride handling, and little details. Every part changed, so the plant assembly underwent major changes. Toyota’s Connected Team developed numerous technologies never before seen in a Toyota vehicle. Even the storage beneath the backseat went through functional design for hunters.

2022 Tundra Media reveal for journalists featured the TRD Pro and 1794 editions.

Nothing was carried forward from the previous generation Tundra. This is a complete redesign from the ground up. An aggressive exterior encases a comfortable interior, and the cockpit is full of technological goodies. The forced-induction engines, numerous cameras, and powered tailgate are radical upgrades over the outgoing generation Tundra. Chief Engineer, Mike Sweers, went into salesman mode while displaying a grin when he tried to entice me with this tidbit: the TRD Pro Tundra will get better fuel mileage than my 2019 TRD Pro Tacoma (Tundra fuel mileage numbers are expected to be release in mid-October).

The 4x4 on certain trim levels has a rear differential locker, as well as Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) options. Need assistance backing up to the trailer? Problem solved: push the button and the Tundra will back itself up to the trailer hands-free! The massive optional 14-inch center screen can display split screen views from the cameras for easier navigation in tight spots, backing up to a trailer, and off-roading. The backup camera also provides onscreen tire guides.

2022 Tundra : The new 14-inch center screen displays driver profile, which is a new feature.

The powered tailgate is for opening only and can be initiated via the large exterior button near the taillight. Carrying something large with both hands, such as a cooler? No need to reach for the key fob to open the tailgate, just use your elbow on that large button and the tailgate opens swiftly. Closing the tailgate manually is easy as there is an assist feature that makes the tailgate rather lightweight.

I remember as a kid watching TV ads for the As Seen On TV products. The narrator would deliver the sales pitch in his hyped-up voice, “But wait, there’s more! You also get…” each time an additional item was introduced. This media reveal experience was a bit reminiscent of those ads, minus the over-acting narrator, as the Toyota crew explained the numerous features one-by-one.

Three trim levels, starting at the top: Limited, 1794 Edition, and Platinum.

An acronym frequently used by the team really sums up why Toyota has a reputation for solid vehicles: QDR. While on stage, Mike Sweers, provided an example of their focus on Quality, Durability, and Reliability. He held up a transfer case chain used by an unnamed competitor, then he held up the much thicker chain used in the Tundra. He knows the Tundra chain is overbuilt and heavier, but he also knows it will last. Sweers explained how they took apart a customer’s million-mile Tundra and found only one issue: the bed had dents and corrosion. As a result, the 2022 Tundra has a composite bed to prevent those issues.

Mike Sweers, Chief Engineer for the Tundra, holds up the smaller chain used by a competitor in their transfer case to compare to the larger chain in his other hand, which is used by Toyota, as an example of Toyota’s commitment to durability.

Authenticity is evident throughout. None of the vents are fake. The 2 vertical grille slits placed just to the left and right of the grille are intake points for the twin-turbo dual intakes. Pop open the hood and you’ll see the state of Michigan imprinted near the radiator on one side and the state of Texas on the other to remind you the truck was designed in Detroit and built in San Antonio. Every design element is intentional.

Vertical vent below headline is for one of the dual air-intakes. Also visible are the marker lights, new headlight design, LED light bar, LED foglights, front camera, and digital camo pattern.

Toyota took their Connect technology to a new level with cloud-based navigation, thus ensuring the navigation is always up-to-date. Furthermore, after finding a location on the navigation screen, it can be shared to contacts stored in Connect. LTE connectivity turns the Tundra into a rolling hotspot so the whole family can have Wi-Fi. Both the LTE and cloud-based navigation services require a monthly subscription.

Multiple drivers can have their own profiles. Letting the teenager drive the truck? You can set up Connect so it knows where your child is supposed to go and receive alerts if they deviate from the intended path! Like listening to a local FM radio station even when you are out of range for the radio tower? If the station has digital streaming, you can receive the signal via newly released Sirius XM 360L technology. Toyota software updates can occur when parked at home by connecting the Tundra Connect to your home Wi-Fi. Remote start and remote lock/unlock can be performed from the Connect smartphone app. More than one phone can be connected via BlueTooth, which is great for people who have both a personal and a work phone.

Twin air-intakes for twin-turbo goodness. Notice the engine sits back further for improved handling.

As the press day experience evolved, it became obvious to me why the Toyota team members were so proud, emotional, and enthusiastic about this Tundra: it’s an amazing product. This truck is the culmination of clever features, technological genius, aggressive styling, quality interiors, and smart engineering. For design inspiration, the team examined the best features in their previous truck line-up spanning the decades, including Land Cruisers. I expect to see Toyota market share experience serious growth in the full-size truck category.