At the top of Toyota’s plans for the fall is this: the presentation of the new generation of the Tundra pickup truck. This is big – literally, since of course the model is and will once again be gigantic.
Today, Toyota gave us another piece of information about its model via a teaser image that alludes to what will come under the hood of the truck. In the process the automaker confirmed the rumours regarding the new "iForce MAX" engine designation, which began to fly around when the company registered that name as a trademark in 2020.
There are no officially sanctioned details as of yet regarding the new engine, but there’s been speculation for some time that Toyota is working on a new turbocharged and electrified 6-cylinder unit to replace the 5.7L V8 that has always been housed under the Tundra’s hood.
We also know that a 3.5L V6 engine making 415 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque will power the new Toyota Land Cruiser, a model with which the Tundra should share some of its architecture.
As for the rest, we're in the realm of pure guesswork. We'll have to wait for the model's unveiling, re more official announcements prior to that, to know for sure what's going to be under the hood. In any event, if Toyota wants to do it right and make it truck truly competitive, it's going to have to offer more than just one engine choice. The press release issued by the company indicates that the iForce Max engine will “lead” the product offering for the new Tundra; that leaves room for interpretation.
As for the “iForce” name, it's been around as long as the company has been producing a Tundra. It first appeared in 2000 with the 4.7L V8 that powered the first generation of the pickup. When Toyota redesigned its model in 2007, the name was transferred to the new 5.7L V8. The Tundra hasn't really changed much since then, with its iForce V8 producing the same 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque year in year out.