http://www.autoweek.com/files/specia...a/pages/01.htm

Like I thought, it looks an awful lot like the FTX concept truck from last year. I think that is good (because I think the FTX was ugly). Make of it what you will. Autoweek's main page has a better view of the front, which looks very FTX-like to me.

I do have to ask, regarding the new dashboard: W.T.F.?

:blah:

EDIT: Some more pics available at www.toyota.com (Toward the bottom, there is an image/link for the new Tundra).

 

It look like someone tried to make a feminie version of a Dodge Ram.

That interior is still a step behind the 2004 Ford F-140 and 2007 Avalanche. Over all I'm not impressed, but thats good news for Chevy.

The new Silverado will have a better powertrain lineup too with 1500 series engine ranging from the 290HP 6 cyl. to the 6.0L Gen IV with DoD. Chevy has this truck beat. I just hope GM can get enough 6 speed automatics built to at least offer it as an option.

 

They are incorporating what they know about selling cars in the US, to their trucks.

Actually, I don't think it is half bad.

To me, the interior shown on the Toyota Site are a little too upscale for a pickup. I guess they don't understand in the US, people pay extra for more capability, not more leather and fancy crap (at least when it comes to the 'bread and butter' trucks)

If they had a "F250" type Diesel Turbo version with 600 Ft lbs and 300 hp, a little more pronounced flares making way for bigger tires, etc, they you'd all be drooling.

 

Do you have solid evidence of the inline 6 as the base engine? I am thinking that is not the case, unfortunately. It SHOULD be, and maybe the decision was made to make it so, but for a while that was not the case.

Even if the 4.2 is not the base engine, I still think the overall engine lineup favors Chevy, IF Autoweek is right about the 4.7 staying and the 5.7 being the new top engine. Even if the 5.7 makes big power (like the underrated Titan), I don't think it will be much more than 350-360 hp like the 6.0L in the Tahoe.

I am REALLY weirded out by the dash, though (btw, I don't think the GM pickup dash is identical to the SUV dash). It looks like it wraps around the driver with the silver trim carried over from the gauge surround, but then the majority of the center stack controls are off by themselves, kind of lost in the rest of the dash. Just seems odd to me.

 

People pay big money for leather and all that stuff all the time. But I don't think that new Tundra's interior looks any more upscale than any other full size (not counting the outgoing Silverado/Sierra, and that is mainly an issue with the dash, not the whole interior). Well, it does look better than the Titan, which looks horribly cheap. Maybe about the powertrain, though the Silverado offers 360 hp and 650 lbft already, but not about the styling. It looked weird on the FTX, and it still looks weird in production.

 

Tundra sales have been increasing steadily. Nothing to worry domestics yet. But now that the Tundra actually is full-sized with a reasonable V8, wouldn't be surprised if sales continue to grow steadily.

2005 Tundra sales
"Contributing to the light-truck sales record was the Tundra full-size pickup truck with all-time best-ever December sales of 15,632 units, up 33.4 percent. Year-end Tundra sales were 126,529 units, up 12.9 percent over last year."

Titan sales seem to have stabilized around the 85K a year mark:

86,945 for 2005

Wonder how Nissan will respond.

 

Tundra base V6 = 236HP 4.0L V6
Silverado base I6 = 290HP 4.2L I6

There are a bunch of threads already out there about the Silverado engine line up. I also doubt the Tundra will beat or match the fuel economy of the new 320HP DoD 5.3L.

 

Interior looks cheap. http://www.autoweek.com/files/specia.../images/10.jpg

GM, Ford and Dodge will crush this thing in sales.

 

The uglier the better....

OTOH, everyone who has seen the upcoming Silverado is raving about it's looks.

 

On its way.

 

I'm sure there are lots of threads, but some of those also said the 5.3L would have 355 hp. That is obviously not the case (the midlevel 6.0L has that rating, with the 6.2 coming in at 380-403 hp). Trust me, I want to believe it will be the 4.2, but things I was seeing and hearing early on point to the contrary. I hope I am wrong (i.e. that things changed a while back), but I haven't seen anything beyond the normal speculation/rumors saying that it is so. A 290 hp/ 275-290 lb-ft 4.2L would basically make the 290 hp/295 lb-ft 4.8L V8 pointless. Or vice versa.

Not trying to argue at all, but I'm not getting my hopes up (I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than sadly disappointed).

 

For a full size truck, 236 HP is short by about 50 now.

And for a 5.7L engine that goes into a truck to produce just 300 HP is also very weak.

 

236 hp isn't really 50 short for a base V6. Look at the base engines of the F150, Silverado, and Ram. All in the low 200 hp range, I believe. Has Nissan offered the 4.0L from the Frontier/Pathfinder/Xterra in the Titan now? If not, then it still offers only 1 engine, the 5.6L V8.

 

Yeah, I don't really understand the dash styling. Not having a symmetrical dash design is ok, I think if executed correctly it could be something cool and unique, but the huge area of bright silver on the driver's side just throws the whole console off....everything should flow together.

It's exterior looks aren't earth-shattering, but I wouldn't call it downright ugly either. I see some Dodge Ram in it. I can't wait to see the new Silverado. I'm guessing the Avalanche is our sneek-peek.

 

Sorta weird on the front, not overtly ugly. The profile looks ok but the rear is messed with those wrap around taillights. Looks like they took the tails off the Silverado and flared them around the edge of the truck.

On a side note, what crappy pics. The lighting is totally off on those. Looks like the pics were taken in a dark room.