i-Force Max offers a slight increase over V6 but massive improvement over old V8
Hybrid pickup comes with a $3,400 or $3,900 premium
Toyota has just announced pricing for the hybrid version of its all-new Tundra full-size pickup. The 2022 Toyota Tundra Hybrid, dubbed i-Force Max, will start from $53,995 in the U.S. for a rear-drive Limited CrewMax crew cab or $66,390 for a 4×4 Limited crew cab in Canada. U.S. EPA fuel economy figures have also dropped, with the 4×2 model rated at 22 mpg city and 24 highway.
That fuel economy improvement is massive versus the old V8 truck, which offered 13/17 with two or four-wheel drive. It’s not, however, a big increase over the gas-only Tundra, which manages 24/20 with 2WD. 4×4 hybrid Tundras are rated at 19 city, 22 highway. Figures for Canada aren’t out yet, but the U.S. 4×4 truck (the only one offered up north) translates to 12.4 L/100 km city, 10.7 highway. That’s slightly worse highway economy than the gas-only truck (13.6 city, 10.4 highway), so we’ll wait for official Canadian figures.
Using a nickel-metal hydride battery pack in place of the Ford F-150 Powerboost’s li-on battery, the Tundra scores slightly lower on the EPA ratings. It’s also comparable to Ram and GM’s gas-only ratings with their smallest engines, which is a great way to say that fuel economy ratings are complicated and buyers may want to wait for some real-world customer results.
The hybrid motor goes in the bell housing of the 10-speed automatic and adds 48 hp plus a load of torque to the 3.5L twin-turbo V6. The result is 437 hp and 583 lb-ft, giving the ability to tow up to a bit over 11,000 lbs.
I-Force Max comes with an increase of $3,400 in the U.S. and $3,900 in Canada. U.S. buyers will get a choice of Limited ($52,300), Platinum ($60,390), and 1794 Edition ($61,090), all with 2 or four-wheel drive and short or long-box. The new flagship Capstone trim will be 4×4 only, from $73,530. TRD versions will also be available with 4×4 TRD Pro from $66,805.
Canadian buyers can get Limited ($66,390), TRD Off Road ($63,390), TRD Pro ($80,550)
Platinum ($76,590), 1794 Edition ($77,790), and Capstone ($84,150), all with 4×4.
