The 2022 Toyota Tundra is approaching its highly anticipated global debut, which means we get to see more teasers of the Tundra. While an ill-timed dealer leak forced Toyota to reveal one lone image of the truck, the Japanese auto giant has decreed that the teaser campaign must go on, and this time around, we get to see some of the new suspension components that will make their debut on the TRD Pro version of the model.
Tundra Ditches Leaf Springs For IRS Setup
At first glance, Toyota’s teaser images might not seem to reveal much other than splashes of red accents, but look past that, and you can see that some major structural changes have been made. The current generation TRD Pro goes old school in its approach to handling, with the truck using a live-rear axle and trapezoid mounted leaf springs. This setup has existed in various other cars and trucks since the beginning, and while it’s versatile, it has bad ride quality and adds excess weight.
Here on the 2022 Tundra, the leaves have been completely removed with the goal of enhancing articulation. This type of setup would allow the Tundra to be on more equal ground with the Raptor especially when tackling trails. Toyota has not formally confirmed if the novel suspension setup will trickle down to lower grade Tundras, but while we highly doubt the base model will get in on the act, look for other models in the middle part of the trim family to potentially add the suspension as a potential piece of optional equipment, with the TRD Pro and some of the off-road lite versions of the truck having it standard.
The company claims that the suspension will “set a new bar for on and off-road performance” but stopped short of sharing any further technical details on the suspension. As for the claim itself, we will have to wait a bit until we have a chance to formally sample the Tundra for ourselves to see if the truck can finally match its domestic rivals when it comes to offering a truly balanced ride and off-road performance.
When Will We See The 2022 Toyota Tundra?
Thankfully, the wait will not be too long, with the truck scheduled to make its debut in a few months. When it does, we look forward to hearing more about what’s lurking under the engine bay, as well as what other goodies the Tundra will bring to the market. It’s already known that the TRD Pro version will have an electronically operated drive mode selector as well as a redesigned cabin that promises to bring more luxury and poise to the truck.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled in the meantime, and we will share more details as they become available.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.