Toyota's Plan: All Pick Ups on 1 Platform Tundra, Tacoma 1st to share

[jpd80]

Toyota's plan: All pickups on 1 platform Tundra, Tacoma 1st to share
April 08, 2019 12:00 AM 2 hours ago
Larry P. Vellequette
https://www.autonews.com/sales/toyot...ups-1-platform

SAN ANTONIO — Toyota's next-generation full-size Tundra and midsize Tacoma pickups will share a common platform — internally called F1 — that the Japanese automaker plans to spread to all of its pickups globally, Automotive News has learned.

The strategy closely mimics that used by Toyota in recent years with its unibody Toyota New Global Architecture, which allows it to build a range of models including the Corolla compact sedan, Avalon large car and RAV4 compact crossover using common parts on a single platform for greater efficiency.

Current-generation Tundras and Tacomas are built in sequence on a shared assembly line in south San Antonio, while the Tacoma is also assembled at a pair of plants in Mexico. Although the two pickups share the assembly line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, they are built on different platforms, increasing complexity far beyond that of the 37 cab and powertrain variations of the two pickups.

Sources within Toyota say development of the shared-platform pickups is near completion and could be introduced as early as next year for 2021 models. Details of what the shared platform will mean, in terms of design or potential features, remains unknown.

A spokesman for Toyota Motor North America declined to comment on the shared-platform pickup strategy, saying Toyota does not discuss future product.

Sounds like Toyota uses a very liberal definition of platform, more like a common engineering project.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves, my suspicion is that this will
be some contrivance to save the USA Tundra which is really struggling.