Andree Smirnov recently took delivery of what’s reportedly the first all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra in the US recently. And in the TFL tradition, they put it up against several other vehicles, some of which are not considered rivals. But you know what? A few people looking for a new truck are going to be looking at these two.
A new Tundra doesn’t come along that often, and this 2022 model makes huge leaps in all the departments. People just can’t stop giving it awards, while the powertrain chances have Ford worried. Before, Toyota always used the simplest-possible engines, but the V8 has been replaced with a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6.
It makes 389 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Now, that’s only 8 hp more than before, but the 78 lb-ft of extra torque is substantial, especially when you’re drag racing. The engine features an all-aluminum block, 3,445cc of displacement, dual-overhead-cam, and variable valve timing.
It’s worth mentioning that there’s a second option called the i-Force Max, which is a hybrid model with 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque, a setup that’s similar to Ford’s PowerBoost hybrid F-150 and could have given the Raptor a run for its money.
Toyota Tundra, now with EcoBoost?
Now, the 2022 F-150 Raptor needs no introduction, its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 being similar to the old model. At 450 hp, it’s the most powerful truck in this video. However, its setup is meant for off-road use and not drag racing. Thus, the high suspension and large off-road tires are undoubtedly slowing it down.
The race itself looks pretty close, but that might just come down to a bad reaction from the Raptor driver. The photo finish suggests the Toyota Tundra actually won while the on-board data shows a 0 to 60 time of 7.02 seconds in the Toyota vs 7.13 seconds in the Ford.
The other big surprise of this video is the new Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is quicker than… pretty much everything. It’s a little slow off the line due to the turbo lag and 7-speed DCT. Think of it as the Sonata N-Line of small trucks.