Secrecy can be a fleeting thing at times. Toyota recently kicked off an elaborate teaser campaign for the 2022 Tundra that was supposed to slowly unveil bits and pieces of the truck over the next few months. Unfortunately, no one told an anonymous and undoubtedly camera happy fan in the company’s dealer network who proceeded to leak three images of the truck onto the internet. Toyota knew that it had an evolving situation on its hands and chose to do a lite reveal of the Tundra.
Lone Image Reveals An Infusion Of Muscle Is Coming To Tundra
Unlike a more traditional unveil, Toyota chose to keep essential goodies such as the final engine lineup and the interior to itself (they weren’t leaked to begin with, so this move makes sense.) Instead, the company released one lone image of a TRD Pro model, targeting the Ram Rebel and even the F-150 Raptor out on the trail. The lone image limits us to a single angle, but the front fascia features a large blacked-out grille that included a centrally integrated lightbar and three orange marker lights.
Some people don’t know how to keep a secret: https://t.co/fcEaeZhMmi #Tundra #LetsGoPlaces pic.twitter.com/xnhA3og0LB
— Toyota USA (@Toyota) June 18, 2021
The L-shaped headlights are all-new, and they help give the TRD Pro a meaner appearance, with the possibly faux bumper intake vents adding to its brawny personality. In addition, the side profile appears to benefit from some new updates, while a sliver of taillight appears to confirm that the truck will have larger lenses that aim to make it look more modern than before. Toyota even chose to have some fun at its own expense by stating, “some people don’t know how to keep a secret.”
Leaner But Meaner Performance Is Coming
A recent teaser for the 2022 Tundra appeared to confirm that a smaller six-cylinder engine was coming to replace the antiquated 5.7 liter V8. At the same time, some have even gone as far as to suggest that an image of the engine in a prior teaser appears to confirm a hybrid option. Still, we have to wait until the company drops the full suite of details to confirm whether that green slice of intrigue is real or not.
We suspect that the 3.5 liter V6 is coming but not because of the rumor mill. Rather, it’s because of the recently unveiled 2022 Land Cruiser. The Tundra and the Land Cruiser have shared components over the years, and we would not be shocked if the Tundra will be the U.S. application of this engine. In the Land Cruiser, the engine is good for 415 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, and we are confident that these numbers will carry over to the Tundra largely intact. The new platform will also come equipped with a coil-spring rear suspension, allowing the Tundra to fight the ride comfort battle with the Ram 1500.
When Will We See The 2022 Tundra?
The prior stream of teasers suggested that the Tundra could make its appearance later this year. However, the colossal monkey wrench thrown into the machine by Toyota’s leaky dealer network and the company’s subsequent response suggests that the Tundra’s debut might be sooner than we think, with the truck potentially appearing in the next few months.
When it does, we hope to have a lot more to share with you, especially since this is the first time in over 15 years that the Tundra will receive a major update. But the promise of smarter performance and attention-grabbing styling should make the 2022 Tundra the sight to see whether it’s on or off the beaten path.
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.