Speaker’s Corner: Yet More Tacoma Teasers

We’ve spilled innumerable gallons of digital ink on the forthcoming Tacoma, partly thanks to an incessant stream of teaser photos but mainly because it is a hugely important product in a hot segment. But still – Toyota, if you’re listening, hurry up with the real thing, will ya?

This time around, we learn of a neat option ripped straight from the Book of Wrangler.

Today’s pair of images shows a removable JBL speaker, one which appears to live on the dashboard and is able to be yanked from its holster when owners wish to take their tunes on the move. Jeep deployed a similar gadget in the Wrangler, though its placement put the speaker in the rear of that rig’s cabin. Will the relentless desert sun eventually bake this speaker into oblivion? Probably not, since you gotta think Toyota torture-tested this thing before offering it in their upcoming midsizer.

The unit is in obvious partnership with JBL and can connect to tunage via Bluetooth capabilities. Toyota says one can bring their music from the “dash to the campsite”, and we imagine the speaker charges itself off the truck’s electrical system when docked. It’d be very handy if this device has a couple of USB or USB-C ports, acting as a portable battery to recharge devices. We don’t spy any in these photos but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist on its anterior side. Buttons seem decently robust and ready to endure the hazards of tailgating.

Basic brightening of the hero shot reveals a track-type system on the inside of this bed, suggesting a movable cleat system of tie-downs will be available when the new Tacoma finally appears. Other teasers have shown us a so-called Trailhunter package designed for overlanding, the presence of burly new suspension pieces, and information about the upcoming powerplant choices. Speaking to the latter, expect a choice of hybrid and non-hybrid four-cylinder guts, operating under the i-Force and i-Force Max banners which are found on big-bro Tundra (though that truck gets six cylinders, of course).

It is expected the new Tacoma will show up this year – though not before an innumerable sum of teasers, surely.

[Images: Toyota]

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