2022 Toyota Tundra gets a welcome dose of refinement and new tech

By Alvin Reyes/July 28, 2021 5:51 am EST

Did you know the outgoing second-gen Toyota Tundra is one of the oldest vehicles on sale in the U.S. right now? Well, that's about to change with the third-gen 2022 Toyota Tundra coming to dealerships this fall.

And thanks to Toyota, we already know what the new truck will look like when it physically appears in a few months. But now, Toyota has revealed more images of the 2022 Tundra, particularly what to expect when you step inside.

A few weeks back, Toyota released an interior image of the new Tundra's panoramic moonroof and power-operated rear window. The latter is unique since it's a feature that we don't see a lot in modern trucks or SUVs. And it seems the Tundra has a few more goodies in store to keep up with other stalwarts like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

First, the 2022 Toyota Tundra will have flashy red perforated seats, particularly in TRD Pro trim. It will also have a wireless smartphone charger to complement the truck's new touchscreen infotainment system. But the biggest draw is a rotary dial with four buttons to control the drive modes: Multi-Terrain Select (MTS), Downhill Assist Control (DAS), Crawl/Tow/Haul, and Drive.

Toyota has yet to reveal the powertrain of its newest 2022 Tundra. But if the all-new Land Cruiser is any indication, we're expecting the new Tundra to inherit the former's TNGA-F platform, its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, and 10-speed automatic gearbox. Toyota will not be selling the 2022 Land Cruiser in America (for now, at least), but at least we're getting some of the new goodies from the carmaker's all-conquering luxury SUV.

We're expecting the smaller V6 engine to pack quite a punch. Whereas the 5.7-liter V8 from the outgoing Tundra can pump out 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque, the new twin-turbo V6 is churning out 409 horsepower and up to 479 pound-feet of torque. The numbers may change, but at least Toyota is not short-changing the 2022 Tundra (in power and torque) despite having a smaller engine.

Not everyone is a fan of the new Tundra's massive front grille design, but the overall profile remains similar to the old model. And from the way Toyota is slowly building up the hype, we expect to be back to reveal more on what the new Tundra has to offer.