2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid: New Tundra Hybrid Preview, Price and Release Date
2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid The full-size pickup segment continues to be dominated by American Big 3 manufacturers, it’s no secret. For all the great effort that has been made to stop the party, Toyota remains in fourth place in the category.
However, the Japanese automaker does not appear intent on giving up.
Speaking recently with the CarBuzz website, Toyota’s chief truck engineer Sheldon Brown provided an overview of the company’s vision for the future in this area.
While pausing to ensure that an electric version of the 2021 Toyota Tundra nightshade is in the works, he explained that Toyota understands how important low-end torque and power are to truck owners when making purchasing decisions.
To meet this demand, Toyota thinks it could leverage decades of hybrid powertrain development to upgrade the next-generation Tundra, which is expected soon.
To be sure, the hybrid version of the Tundra pickup will be a very different wax ball from the Toyota Prius whose focus is on maximizing energy efficiency. Truck buyers prioritize capacity over fuel efficiency; They generally don’t buy a pickup to save money on the pump.
Any improvements in this area are a welcome bonus, but not a core factor in deciding a purchase.
2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid Preview
A new Toyota Tundra is around the corner, and our spy shooters think they catch a hybrid model that’s out testing. Toyota tundra rumors that the truck will get a hybrid powertrain, but there was no proof at the time.
Now, we feel a little more confident that Toyota is at least testing the Tundra with a hybrid powertrain.
The photographers said they heard an electric hum, followed by the sound of an engine spinning around 25-30 mph on several occasions while following a truck seen here.
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Our previous story speculated that Toyota could use a hybrid version of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 we saw making its debut on the Lexus LS500. Another possible powertrain option can also be borrowed from the LS500h.
That one uses a naturally aspirated V6 engine and an electric motor with a total system output of 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.
If it was a first, we’d expect much more power, with the powertrain likely being considered for the flagship version of the truck. Our guess is to put the hybrid version of the twin-turbo V6 at around 450-500 horsepower.
2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid Engine
Currently, the Toyota Tundra is powered by a combination of a 5.7-liter V8 engine and an electronically controlled 6-speed automatic transmission. This produces 381 horsepower and 401 lb.-ft. torque.
The Tundra brings with it 13 cities / 18 roads / 15 combined approximate fuel for 4×2 trucks and 13 cities / 17 roads / 14 combined for 4x4s.
Many insiders feel the V8 engine will be replaced with a twin-turbo V6 engine. Also, enough rumors are circulating automotive water coolers to know there will be a hybrid option available as well.
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The hybrid will increase gas mileage in the next generation Tundra. This will most likely result in higher lower end torque as well.
The idea of combining a petrol engine with an electric motor frightened some, while others were excited to see the potential benefits it could make.
2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid Specs
This particular tester doesn’t look like a “flagship” truck with tiny steel wheels, but who knows what Toyota is doing with the test vehicle. The physical details of the Tundra donkey we see here are similar to the previous set of photos we get.
Toyota is still going the extra mile to make sure we can’t see what’s going on with the rear suspension, applying all kinds of brushes and blockers. All the rear of the cab remains tightly closed, and the front ends are treated the same.
None of the lights appear to be production units at this point but remain closed.
Previous reports told us that the new Tundra and Tacoma will share an internal platform called F1.
We expect the first trucks on the platform to be revealed in 2020, so that tells us we’ll see a new Tundra sometime in the future – Tacoma is likely still waiting for its next makeover.
Hybridization, with the amount of power still unknown, will likely continue when the truck is finally shown.
2021 Toyota Tundra Hybrid Price and Release Date
For pricing, Toyota hasn’t officially announced a release date for the Tundra 2021, but based on previous years we expect it to be around the end of summer.
Pricing is also not available at this time, but we expect prices to remain similar to the current model, which ranges from $ 35,170 to $ 54,525 (including destination costs).
