2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign, Specs, Interior

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign, Specs, Interior  –  Everybody loves Tacos. Canadians certainly do because the Toyota Tacoma outsells rivals like the Ford Ranger or Nissan Frontier four to one here. Part of the appeal is image, as sporty Toyota pickups have been burnished with the California lifestyle ever since Marty McFly changed history to get his lifted little black truck. However, Tacoma owners use their trucks as intended, perhaps even more so than people who buy full-size Fords and Rams. This is why we begin our story in the driver’s seat of a new hybridized Tacoma TRD Pro, soaring two feet above a gravel road south of San Diego.

No, Toyota has not invented the long-awaited flying car. But the Tacoma returns to earth with the gentlest of bounces, then proceeds to run up the potholed road at a sustained 70 km/h, floating over the surface while the suspension furiously works away. Some of that serenity can be credited to the complicated and expensive front seats here (more on those in a bit), but it’s really because the basic mechanics of the Tacoma are rock solid. If you want a Land Cruiser with a pickup bed, here you go.

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

On a less technical but still challenging offroad section, the TRD Premium was all the Taco required. No, there was no high-speed jumping, but the TRD Premium was essentially as capable as the Land Cruiser when driven back to back, offering more equipment at a lower price along with pickup truck flexibility. Anything else you might want to add to this truck, the aftermarket will happily sell you.

With the possible exception of the seats in the TRD Pro, that is. Each of these wild-looking thrones features four pressurized shock absorbers that damp vertical, side-to-side, and fore-and-aft jostling. Hopping back and forth between the TRD Premium (which doesn’t get them) and the Pro proved two things. One: they work surprisingly well. Two: they are very silly.  2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign

For the latter, please set your front seat to the preferred ergonomics, then climb into the rear of the TRD Pro, upon which you will experience what it is like to have a professional mountain biker ram into your shins. Toyota made the Tacoma’s rear seats roomier this year, but these off-road-specific seats eat it all up. If you carry rear seat passengers, let alone ferry them down a bumpy road, the Pro is not for you. But wait. Don’t climb out of the Pro just yet, as you’ll want to be in a shock-absorbing seat when I tell you how much the top-spec Tacoma costs. The TRD Pro is a stunning $12,100 jump over the TRD Premium, but the new, top-of-the-range Trailhunter has an MRSP of $82,950. That’s nearly twice the price of the base model non-hybrid Tacoma SR5.

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Specs

The Tacoma Trail isn’t exactly rich with content, but it has the basics covered. There’s an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat to go with a four-way manual passenger chair, but both feature three-stage heat and are wrapped in that decent cloth upholstery. There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections, and even satellite radio – a feature not often found at the bottom of the lineup like this.  2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign

Toyota’s also taken to tossing some accessories at this trim like those side steps and some movable tie-down cleats along the bedsides, though both can be added to any Tacoma model. There’s also a 120-volt household outlet in the bed – handy for at the jobsite or the campsite – and a small enclosed storage compartment next to it, though it doesn’t lock.

Engine and Performance

While a four-cylinder Tacoma can still be had south of the border, the Canadian market version is exclusively powered by a 3.5L V6. It’s a naturally aspirated unit, so there are no superchargers or turbochargers bolted to it; instead, it makes 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque all on its own. The engine can feel a little lethargic down low, requiring a heavy foot to get it into the meaty part of the powerband. It really comes alive around 4,000 rpm, with the kind of combustible force that feels more than adequate – and sounds like it, too.  2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign

Getting the torque to the wheels in this Trail trim is a six-speed automatic transmission, though the Tacoma can still be bought with a six-speed manual. And in fairness to the auto ’box, it’s good enough at its job, never hunting for a gear when passing or merging or getting caught flat-footed at inopportune times on the trail. There’s also a sport mode that adjusts throttle mapping to a more eager tune, plus opening up the ability to manipulate gears manually – handy off-road or when hauling.

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Fuel Economy

All hybrid Tacomas get an eight-speed automatic transmission with a proper low-range transfer case and selectable four-wheel drive. The nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) battery has a capacity of 1.87 kWh, and you can’t plug it in. The electric motor is a 48-hp unit that fits between the combustion engine and transmission like a slice of baloney in a sandwich. Toyota calls the whole mild-hybrid setup the i-Force Max, which is coincidentally the name of the gaming joystick sitting on my desk as I type this.

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Safety Features

Toyota has been selling its hybrid technology in the form of the Prius to the likes of Leonardo di Caprio for long enough that ol’ Leo would probably break up with it (i.e. it’s more than 25 years old). There is no secret of NiMH; it is a fully understood and realized technology that isn’t quite as power-dense as lithium-ion technology but works well. There are millions of taxi cabs worldwide running Toyota’s hybrid systems, and every single one of them shrugs off abuse and mechanical neglect and just keeps on humming. Tacomas generally enjoy strong resale value, and this version should, too.  2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign

2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Price and Release Date

The flying 2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid seems likewise a pretty expensive halo product, so perfected for taking to the air that Waylon Jennings should voice the navigation directions. Just like the Trailhunter, Toyota fans are going to drool over the Pro and spend hours on the online configurator. On the plus side, their old Tacoma will likely fetch a significant chunk of its original price tag.

For everyone else, the TRD Premium or Limited Tacomas are the two that make the most sense. Both are more expensive than even the old TRD Pro model, but given the improved fuel economy, ergonomics, and better on road performance, both are still a solid choice. Also, both should give you a clear hint to what the 4Runner is going to drive like and what its price points are going to be. An $80K+ 4Runner Trailhunter is almost a surety. Want to spend less? Then $46,950 will get you a non-hybrid SR5, or you can even get a manual-transmission Tacoma for under $50K.

With fuel prices being what they are, the extra power and fuel economy of the hybrid makes a great deal of sense if you’re looking at a better-optioned Tacoma. Compared to the simple old original Toyota pickups of the past, the new Tacoma is a much more complex and expensive machine. By expanding the range into a much higher price level, Toyota is testing just how much its biggest fans are willing to spend. It’s probably a safe bet, though. Because everybody loves Tacos.  2026 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Redesign