Toyota officially announced yesterday that they would be unveiling the all-new 2016 Tacoma at the North American Auto Show in Detroit on January 12th. Along with this announcement, Toyota attempted to get truck fans all hot and bothered by releasing a teaser image of the truck, flaunting the left rear end of the truck as it grinds through some heavy duty mud. Grrr, that’s sexy!
The image has already set off insider speculation, as many around the industry believe that Toyota will be moving their mid-size lineup in a more aggressive direction. Between the imagery and a very precise marketing campaign, Toyota has done nothing but confirm these rumors– a strategy that is undoubtedly aimed at taking down the recent surge in popularity of GM in the midsize market.
In an interview with The Detroit News, Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz said, “I think [GM is] going more at what they view the mainstream segment to be based on their full-size truck experience. I think we’re actually going to probably attract very different buyers in that segment..”
“Tacoma is more important than the sum of its sales,” he added. “It has very dominant imagery: rugged, tough, youthful. That’s what that truck represents.”
Those sound like fighting words if I ever heard some. I mean, questioning GM’s ruggedness and toughness? Questioning their values as they go “mainstream”? That’s brutal (and maybe a little bit true).
Of course, only adding insult to injury is the fact that Toyota will be debuting the Tacoma in Detroit, right in the middle of GM’s backyard. Now that is ballsy! And it’s a confidence that stems from their once-upon-a-time run as the midsize king, a title that GM has only recently swiped out from underneath them.
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