The Toyota Tacoma Is Getting a New Diesel Engine
Fans of the Toyota Tacoma don’t want to be tricked again. Rumors of a truck with a diesel engine coming to America have been floating around for years. However, the diesel Toyota Tacoma could actually be happening, just not in the United States
The Toyota Tacoma Turbodiesel is coming
According to The Drive, Toyota filed a United States patent that describes a high-compression engine that may run on diesel fuel. It could be for the Tundra or the Tacoma, or perhaps both. Then both of these trucks would benefit from an improved fuel economy and more torque.
But the new engine could be for the Toyota Hilux instead. The 2024 Tacoma is here with a new hybrid setup that involves gas, not diesel. But something could still be in the pipeline.
The patent includes a few of the potential benefits of high-compression tech, including the suppression of smoke and ignitability improvement. As smoke can be an issue for traditional diesel engines, this makes sense.
Smoke and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are fought off by modern diesel trucks with diesel particulate filters (DPF) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). An engine that can reduce smoke without needing DEF would change the game.
Tacoma diesel engine power
Speculation suggests that the diesel Taco will be similar to its international cousin, the Toyota Hilux. If this information is correct, the diesel Tacoma might be available with a 2.8-liter turbo option that pumps out 177 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
The turbo-diesel engine for the 2024 Toyota Hilux involves the same 2.8-liter engine, but it may be paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It could have a 10% fuel economy improvement.
Plus, to make things more exciting for off-roaders, the Toyota Tacoma turbodiesel is expected to be offered with a standard six-speed automatic gearbox or six-speed manual transmission. This would change the game even more by providing drivers with more options.
The new Toyota Tacoma is expected to have more muscle, and it does offer more torque. But it can only tow up to 6,500 lbs, while the previous generation tows up to 6,800 lbs. The Chevy Colorado can tow up to 7,700 lbs.
What about the Toyota Tacoma Hybrid?
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid is finally here. The i-FORCE Max powertrain pairs a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a 1.87-kWh battery pack to generate 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Unfortunately, the official fuel economy hasn’t been released. However, it provides a 29% boost in the Lexus RX hybrid over the gas-powered model.
The standard 2024 Tacoma engine is the same 2.4-liter unit, and it starts with 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. Upgrading to a higher trim level with the annual transmission increases these figures to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.
On higher trim levels with the eight-speed automatic transmission, the engine provides 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. These upgrades are incredible since the outgoing model has a standard 159 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque.
The previous generation’s 3.5-liter V6 engine provides 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. Even without hybrid power, the engines have an incredible boost in torque for off-roading.
Stay tuned for updates as we see what diesel engine the Hilux receives. The diesel engine might not meet rising emission standards in America, but a diesel Taco would slay the competition.
