The 2022 Toyota Tundra marks a new generation for the truck since 2007 and it also bears the weight of debuting a completely new generation of platform for the brand in North America since we won’t be getting a Land Cruiser anymore. All of this is to say the new Tundra is HIGHLY anticipated due to it marking a whole new generation of body-on-frame vehicles from Toyota.
We’ve been finding breadcrumbs and tidbits about the new Tundra for months now, but nothing has officially been confirmed. Until yesterday when Toyota released this photo of their engine cover for the next generation of iForce engines.
Historically, the iForce engines started as a 4.7L naturally aspirated V8 and then it’s evolved into the 5.7 naturally aspirated V8 we tested last week in the existing 2021 Toyota Tundra. What do both these motors have in common? 8 cylinders and no turbos.
So it took many people by surprise as we look closer at the engine cover to surmise there will only be six cylinders. Our assumptions here at Downshift are that this iForce Max engine is the upgraded version of the base 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6 that will be in the Tundra. The Max part of iForce Max suggests more power and to achieve that we can, fairly safely, assume this will come at the hands of electrification.
Toyota designates all their hybrid vehicles with a blue halo around the logo and this iForce Max badge in the engine cover has the same blue outline. So what could this mean?
We know in the Land Cruiser, the same twin-turbo V6 is tuned to make 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. We can assume an identical, or nearly identical engine tuning and mapping for the Tundra, but with the hybrid component things get a little less predictable. Hybrid power means electric assist and electric assist means torque, and often a lot of it.
Toyota has been on record saying the upgraded engine in the new Tundra will, “blow you away”. Presumably they were talking about power figures so our estimates here at Downshift put the 2022 Toyota Tundra with the iForce Max engine at somewhere around the 500 hp mark, but more importantly carrying a torque figure of 650 lb-ft.
Again, these estimates are speculations, but as more information comes available, you will be the first to know. Check out the video below to get Matt’s take on what we know about the new Tundra iForce engine: