Tacoma Owners Look Forward to A New Engine for Upcoming Tacoma After GR Corolla Debut

There was an interesting discussion in the Toyota Tacoma TRD Trucks group on Facebook, in which the members were talking about the eed for Toyota to provide more a powerful engine in its Tacoma pickup truck.

"So now Toyota makes a *3* cylinder engine that makes 300hp while a 3.5L V6 third-gen Tacoma makes like 278 hp. I know, I know, it has a turbo, but still... Not trying to be a hater or stir the pot, but I feel like Toyota could make some more money if a more powerful engine was at least an option from the factory" writes Erik Shane Smith in the group.

Despite the fact that Erik is comparing a V6 engine that has been around for a long time vs an engine they just started mass producing in 20202, you have got to remember the longevity of these new cars. "Everything now is built to be smaller and lighter to increase gas mileage, but that means it has to push more power to still be useable, so these little cars rev to the moon before shifting. My Tacoma truck shifts on its own always before 3K unless I really get on it then it will maybe see 3,500 RPM. My girlfriend's Ford Fiesta does a typical shift at like 4K and even higher if you get on it. There’s a reason these cars don’t last long because they spend their first 100K being revved out every single day," writes a user, named Micah Dunn.

Last night's 2023 GR Corolla’s debut melted eyes and stitched hot hatch disliker's hearts. It’s impossible to not like that little vehicle. It's a nice hot hatchback with no automatic, no fake vents, and no, stock engine.

However, there has been a discussion floating around the ether about how Tacoma truck owners wanted a better output out of their engines. The V6 engine that Toyota uses has been around for a while and up until the new 2023 and 2024 models are set to come out, we don’t really know what’s going to happen. Maybe the rumors of an electric or electrified Toyota Tacoma may become true. In fact, Tacoma owners have wanted an electric Tacoma since 2015.

Yes, the GR Corolla is turbocharged, which gives it that extra horsepower. But even with a 3-cylinder, that’s still very impressive. The only other company that I know to put such an amazing amount of power out of a 3-cylinder engine is Koenigsegg with its Gemera. However, with all the technology that Toyota is cramming into the next generation Tacoma, it might as well be a reality that we may get a better handling and performing Tacoma. I wouldn’t be surprised if we got to see a GR Tacoma.

Currently, it looks like this isn’t a top priority for Toyota. Most Tacoma owners are happy with their trucks. They are workhorses built for both daily driving and work use. Although the Tacoma for the Dakar series looked like a spaceship from Mars, a lot of first-time truck buyers are wanting a more performance-based truck rather than a work-based.

I live in South Carolina where a lot of people drive pickup trucks. When I was in high school, some kids who had Tacomas would add lift kits and performance parts. Perhaps it was for the looks but, I think they did it because Toyota did not offer a performance variant for the Tacoma.

Trucks For Everyone

The point is that if people want a work truck, they buy a Ford F-250 or a GMC Sierra. Something big with a lot of towing capacity. I think the Japanese have really found the niche for each truck. Young guys liked the minitrucks of the 80s and Texan oil kings loved the King Ranch Ford F-150. It all comes down to what you want in perspective to what you drive. An environmentalist is probably not going to drive a coal-burning diesel or a lifted Hummer. Neither is a construction worker, who needs to haul things around, is likely to drive your humble little Prius. So until the great day that Toyota announces its new Tacoma lineup and what is in stock for its engines, we will just have to wait and see.

What do you think? If you are a Toyota Tacoma owner, would you want a bigger engine and more power? Do you agree with the opinions mentioned in the above forum discussions? Let us know in the comments section below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun for daily Toyota news.