The 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Lost 1 Exciting Feature
When rumors of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma started, a big question was whether or not this midsize truck would still offer a manual transmission. Thankfully, the redesigned Tacoma remains one of the last new pickup trucks you can get with a standard gearbox. Unfortunately, not every new Taco will have this feature.
Will Toyota keep the manual in the Tacoma?
As a midsize truck, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma does have a manual transmission. It is a six-speed manual transmission, and it has some cool tricks up its sleeve. The manual Tacoma boasts Toyota’s intelligent manual transmission, or iMT2. The iMT2 comes with automatic rev-matching and anti-stall technology.
Rev-matching is sort of a love-it-or-hate-it piece of technology among enthusiasts. But in a pickup truck, I don’t think it will rub folks the wrong way. Essentially, instead of getting the engine speed to match the speed of the wheels during a shift, automatic rev-matching does it for you.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the iMT2 is that you can start a 2024 Toyota Tacoma without needing to engage the clutch. This is a feature a lot of trucks with manual transmissions used to have. And now, it’s in the redesigned Tacoma.
The manual Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is dead
OK, I’ll start by saying we should be happy that Toyota is still making a Taco with a manual transmission. Unfortunately, the TRD Pro model is only available with an automatic transmission.
Because the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro comes with the iForce Max hybrid engine, it’s not going to offer the ability to row your own gears. At the same time, you do get 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Not all is lost, though; the TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road still come with a six-speed manual transmission. And for folks looking for a base Tacoma, even the SR offers the ability to row your own gears.
What’s new for the 2024 Tacoma?
The new Toyota Tacoma is completely redesigned for the 2024 model year. That means the Taco is finally entering the modern era. There are eight trims, a variety of configurations, and it looks like Toyota has really focused on comfort.
Although only three trims still offer a manual transmission, it seems like this midsize truck should be a winner among the general public.
I’m most interested to see how the revised suspension changes the ride and the eight-speed automatic transmission. My biggest complaint about the 2023 Toyota Tacoma is the way its six-speed automatic transmission behaves. Under the hood of the redesigned Tacoma is either a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or the hybrid variant.
If you want the manual transmission, you will need to go with the non-hybrid engine. According to Car and Driver, that engine can make up to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. That’s certainly a step above the old four-cylinder, and it’s even more powerful than the outgoing V6 engine.
