The big mechanical news is that the hoary, old 4.0-liter V-6 has been tossed, replaced by a new 3.5-liter, 24-valve DOHC V-6 that uses Toyota’s “D4S” combination of direct and port fuel injection similar to the system in the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Combined with more aggressive variable valve timing, it allows the engine to dance between Atkinson and Otto combustion cycles and produce 278 horsepower at 6000 rpm. That’s a robust 42 more horsepower than the outgoing 4.0-liter, but peak torque production drops by a single pound-foot to 265 The new V-6 is sweet-natured and the new automatic well-behaved, but it’s the new interior that is the new Tacoma’s clearest improvement. The instrumentation is now contained inside a silver oblong structure that runs from the driver’s door past the dash center. A video to show all about Toyota Tacoma 2016.
