The Toyota Tacoma continues to dominate the mid-size pickup truck segment, selling twice as many as Ford.
2020 was a hard year for a lot of automakers, but apparently not all of them. In the US, for example, pickup trucks continued going strong, with most manufacturers posting excellent results. Toyota was notably good in the midsize pickup truck segment, where it easily beat the competition.
The Japanese brand sold 238,806 Tacoma trucks, almost twice as much as the next competitor, the Ford Ranger (101,486). General Motors was even further behind with 96,238 Chevy Colorados and only 25,190 GMC Canyons. Furthermore, Jeep had a not-so-bad year with the Gladiator, which found its way to 77,542 owners.
What’s quite interesting is that the Tacoma is actually the oldest truck in the lot. Toyota last updated it five years ago, and it’s fair to say that the competition is much more advanced. Nonetheless, buyers seem to be more interested in reliability and capability in this sector. The Tacoma is extremely durable and provides outstanding off-road abilities. Besides, during the pandemic, the overlanding community soared, and the Tacoma is among the most popular vehicles with adventure enthusiasts.
Toyota’s North American executive vice president of sales, Bob Carter, says that the manufacturers’ rush back into the sector has stimulated more demand from non-traditional truck customers and managed to bring even more business to the Tacoma.
“The interior space and amenities are highly attractive to consumers,” said Tyson Jominy, vice president, data and analytics at JD Power. “Moving over from an SUV or down from a luxury car, consumers give up nothing in terms of creature comforts.”
Research has shown that the sales figure for pickups will increase in the coming years. This is a very good opportunity for the Tacoma to maintain the top spot in the mid-size pickup segment, especially since Toyota would probably replace it in the coming years.
However, let’s not forget that the pickup truck sector will soon have all-electric alternatives, which might completely change the outcome.
