It seems the next generation of Toyota’s best-selling pickup trucks will have the same platform beneath the sheetmetal.
According to insiders at Automotive News, Toyota is developing a new global platform codenamed F1, which will be shared by US-spec versions of the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks. The same platform might also be used for mainstay pickups in foreign markets, such as the Hilux.
The trucks are the latest to transition to a unified platform. In 2015, the Japanese automaker unveiled the Toyota New Global Architecture program, where a variety of models share the same platform. Currently, the C platform is shared by compact models like the Prius and the Corolla, while the K platform is used by larger sedans and SUVs like the Camry, RAv4 and the Highlander.
According to the site’s sources, the future Tacondra platform is also being designed to accept electric powertrains, meaning a hybrid version of either truck might be in the works. This is not far off, considering how the Ford F-150, the best-selling pickup truck in America, is going hybrid in 2020.
The current-gen Tacoma and Tundra are built on the same assembly line in Toyota’s sprawling factory in San Antonio, Texas. However, it remains to be seen how a shared platform can accommodate trucks of different sizes.
The midsize Tacoma has reigned king on Kelley Blue Book’s vehicles with top resale value, a position it has retained for the past five years, while the larger Tundra has the third spot.