America’s best-selling midsize pickup in 2025 will begin, and next year’s renewals will remain largely unchanged.
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While it seems like just yesterday that Toyota unveiled its redesigned fourth-generation Tacoma pickup, the Japanese automaker has just announced a facelifted 2026 model.
In other words, we are now entering the third year of the truck’s life cycle.
And while it’s no surprise that Toyota would play it safe after such a recent and seismic update, this release does beg the question: Is the Tacoma boring on the right side or on the wrong side?
Next year’s Tacoma won’t bring anything else except color changes. – Credit: Toyota
The pattern is expected to be consistent from year to year. But between the inevitable price jump and possible tariffs that would make the truck even more expensive, Toyota may ultimately need more than tweaks and updated colors to make its pickup truck palatable to potential buyers.
Much ado about nothing
If you were hoping Toyota would bring back the V6 or add a manual transmission to the SR5 trim level, we’re sorry to disappoint you—those changes aren’t happening between 2026 and 2026. updates.
The Tacoma remains one of the few enthusiast vehicles to offer a manual transmission, though some trim levels don’t benefit from that option. – Credit: Toyota
Instead, next year’s Tacoma upgrades will focus on details that darken the front logos on the TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport and TRD Pre-Runner trims and add some new 18-inch TRD wheels paired with 32-inch Goodyear A/T tires to the TRD Off-Road i-Force Premium Package.
There’s also a new Heritage Blue option, and Toyota has said that this year’s Wave Maker color will be exclusive to the TRD Pro. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as the truck is still powered by the i-Force and hybrid i-Force Max 2.4-liter turbo engines.
Annual updates are not really expected, but some the changes would be great considering the fourth generation is still in its infancy. – Credit: Toyota
In any case, while it is neither unusual nor unexpected that such changes are small from year to year, it is still a little disappointing.
After all, Toyota could offer some options across trim levels (like manual transmissions or different bed lengths) even if it doesn’t want to go back to its third-generation powertrain.
Also, according to some forum chatter, Toyota experienced quality control issues with the Wave Maker shade for the Tundra and 4-Runner TRD Pro vehicles this year and has since suspended production. Although the color remains listed between updates, it is not currently listed as an option on the website.
One of the biggest 2026 The change for the Tacoma comes in the form of price, as it automatically starts at $500 more. – Credit: Toyota
So the biggest change for Tacoma in 2026. really is a form of price. With a starting MSRP of $32,145, that’s $500 more than last year’s model. And as if that weren’t enough, since Toyota builds the Tacoma in Mexico, the tariffs could always keep driving up the price.
Raising popularity
Of course, the Tacoma is a truck that doesn’t need these kinds of updates to stay competitive year after year.
Even before the fourth-generation overhaul, the Tacoma managed to hold the title of America’s best-selling midsize truck for two consecutive decades.
As much a status symbol as it is a powerful pickup, the Tacoma has remained America’s best-selling midsize car for more than two decades. – Credit: Toyota
While there’s no denying that such a feat was possible in part on the merits of the model, as well as the Toyota and Tacoma names—like a pair of Levi’s, an iPhone, or even a Porsche 911—the truck is a status symbol.
In some ways, the Tacoma isn’t so much boring as it is enduring. Toyota didn’t rock the boat because it didn’t have to (and doesn’t have to). Especially because of the years that Tacoma had.
Following the launch of the redesigned Tacoma in 2024. the truck only continued to assert its dominance in the segment. According to Toyota’s third-quarter report, the model’s numbers improved by a staggering 61.2 percent year over year.
The TRD Pro offers some fancy IsoDynamic Performance seats. – Credit: Toyota
While that difference is likely due in part to 2024 being the introductory year, the fact that Toyota has already managed to ship more than 204,464 Tacomas means that 2025 could bring one of the best sales for the model in quite some time.
Pricing and Availability
At the end of the day, whether a Toyota Tacoma truck falls on the “boring” “right” or “wrong” side depends on your relationship, both with the brand and the truck.
If you’re a happy owner of a fourth-generation Tacoma, it’s probably a little easier to know that your pickup truck will stay competitive for a while to come. After all, even a mid-cycle facelift isn’t due for another few years—let’s not kid ourselves when we talk about the fifth generation.
If you’ve been waiting for major updates to the Tacoma, don’t hold your breath—even a facelift won’t be done for another few years. – Credit: Toyota
On the other hand, if you are a prospective owner, the lack of change can be frustrating or beneficial. Although this means that in 2024 and 2025 models will always be better, 2026 and subsequent offerings will only get more expensive and offer more of the same.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming Tacoma or play around with the configurator, you can visit Toyota’s website. As mentioned, MSRP should start at $32,145.
2026 Toyota Tacoma
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