When you are looking at full-size trucks, one model that you should consider is the Toyota Tundra. This model features a powerful engine with solid fuel economy and exceptional towing and hauling numbers. Toyota actually offers a few different versions of the engine in the 2024 Tundra. You can get the most powerful engine if you stop into your local Toyota dealer and ask for a 2024 Tundra with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain. Toyota truly takes things to the MAX, using a hybrid powertrain to improve power, performance, and fuel economy.
Toyota premiered the Tundra in 2000, and true to its name, it has always been a ruggedly built truck with an aggressive profile. The current third-generation Tundra, which was introduced in 2022, is also one of the most innovative full-size models. The third generation of the Tundra was the first to offer a hybrid option for its higher trims and even made the hybrid powertrain standard for the top TRD Pro and Capstone trims. For 2024, you can also go to the MAX with the 1794 Edition, Platinum, and Limited trims. As you will see, it is hard to match the performance you will get in this model with any other full-size pickup.
Three Engine Options Built Around One Design
The third-generation Toyota Tundra model replaced the standard 5.7L V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission with a much more efficient combination. The foundation is a 3.5L i-FORCE turbocharged V6 gas engine paired with a 10-speed Electronically Controlled Automatic Transmission with intelligence. There are two calibrations of this engine available for the 2024 Tundra, and the same powertrain forms the basis for the i-FORCE MAX hybrid option.
The basic engine features twin turbochargers and a water-cooled intercooler. The engine has a dual overhead camshaft design with 24 valves for its six cylinders. It also features Dual Variable Valve Timing with intelligence and Toyota’s D-4ST combination of direct and port fuel injection. This helps boost the performance of the engine without impacting fuel economy.
The basic version of this engine delivers a solid 358 hp at 5,200 RPM and 406 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPM. There is a second version of this gas powertrain that boosts output to 389 hp at 5,200 RPM and 479 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 RPM. These are both solid numbers for a full-size truck but don’t compare to the output you will get from the i-FORCE MAX hybrid version.
The i-FORCE MAX has the same basic features as the other two versions of this engine, but adds a parallel hybrid system with a permanent magnet electric motor. This is powered by a 1.87 kWh sealed nickel-metal hydride battery located in the truck’s frame. The result is a powertrain that can produce up to 437 hp at 5,200 RPM and 583 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 RPM.
As a traditional hybrid powertrain, there is no external charging option. Instead, the gas engine serves as a generator that keeps the battery charged. In addition, the battery also receives a recharge every time you work the brakes on your truck. This regenerative brake recapture takes some of the kinetic energy that is normally wasted when braking and channels it to the battery pack.
Exceptional Efficiency and Performance for a Full-Size Truck
The most impressive thing about the 2024 Toyota Tundra with the hybrid powertrain is its fuel economy. It gives you the kind of gas mileage numbers you would expect on a smaller truck or an SUV. It is certainly not the numbers you expect to get on a truck with the capabilities of a Tundra. The Tundra hybrid with rear-wheel drive gets a very impressive 22 MPG combined fuel economy, while opting for four-wheel drive reduces this slightly to 20 MPG combined.
In fact, because of the hybrid system, you can expect to get around 20 MPG in the city with the hybrid powertrain. This is because the powertrain relies more on the electric motor at lower speeds. But even without the hybrid option, the Tundra is already a fuel-efficient truck model. If you opt for a trim with the traditional gas versions of the 3.4L i-FORCE V6 engine, you can expect to get an estimated 20 MPG combined fuel economy.
Aside from fuel economy, you will also get solid performance in a 2024 Toyota Tundra with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain. This truck will get you from zero to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. These are the kind of numbers you would expect from a sports sedan, not a full-size truck. This will make merging and changing lanes in traffic easier. By comparison, the conventional gas models of the 2024 Tundra take 6.1 seconds to get up to 60 mph. This is also a respectable number, but can’t match the acceleration of the hybrid. Plus, choosing the hybrid will not only get you up to speed quicker––it will do it while using less gasoline.
Impressive Towing and Hauling Numbers
No matter which model of the 2024 Toyota Tundra you choose, you will get impressive towing and hauling numbers. This is important since one of the main reasons why folks choose to drive full-size trucks is to get the most trailering capability. That payload bed and trailer hitch look cool, but they also have important roles to play in your use and enjoyment of your truck.
The towing and hauling numbers rely on a number of different factors, including engine choice, drivetrain, cab style, and payload bed size. For example, choosing rear-wheel drive will improve your towing capacity over four-wheel drive. You can select most Tundra trims with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, except for the TRD Pro and Capstone, which are four-wheel drive only.
The i-FORCE MAX hybrid system is only available on models that feature a CrewMax cab. This reduces the towing and hauling capability since it is heavier than the Double Cab available on models with the traditional gasoline engine option. In addition, you can choose an 8.1-foot payload box on those trucks, while the Tundra hybrid models only come with either a 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot payload box. This reduces the amount of cargo you can carry with your truck. The result is that the 2024 Tundra models with the conventional engine can tow up to 12,000 lbs. This is slightly more than the 11,450 lbs that models with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain can tow.
You can see the same thing with payload capacity. Models with the conventional gas version of the 3.4L i-FORCE engine can carry up to 1,940 lbs. This is more than the 1,680 lb max payload capacity on Tundra models with the hybrid powertrain. This is also caused by the conventional gas models having an available 8.1-foot payload bed, which allows them to carry more cargo. Still, the 2024 Tundra models with the 3.4L i-FORCE MAX hybrid engines will give you solid towing and hauling numbers, allowing you to get most jobs done easily.
The Tundra Is a Hybrid Truck of the Future Available Today
Once again, Toyota has shown the benefits of innovation. By adding a hybrid engine option to the top trims of the 2024 Tundra, Toyota gives you exceptional fuel economy and performance while not skimping on towing and hauling capabilities. We expect more of the full-size trucks on the market will soon follow in the Tundra’s tracks and begin offering powerful and efficient hybrid engine options.
