Toyota didn't begin to challenge General Motors for world domination with some half-baked plan hatched on Pinky and the Brain.

 

No, every step in the continuing growth of the Japanese-based automotive giant has been well thought out and meticulously executed.

Well, most of the time.

There have been one or two glitches along the way.

For instance, to dominate the motoring world you have to conquer the North American marketplace. Toyota has been doing a great job with its cars here, opening more and more assembly plants and building passenger cars that are designed especially for Canada and the U.S.

As a result, most domestic buyers don't think of their Camrys and Corollas as "imports."

Trucks have been a different story. Especially full-size pickups.

They constitute the toughest market segment for import nameplates to crack and perhaps the only remaining one where brand loyalty still plays an important role.

Sure, Toyota sells about 100,000 full-size Tundra pickups each year, but that's just a drop in the bucket. And the fact that Toyota has been building trucks for 70 years, or that its rugged pickups are the choice from Afghanistan to Zanzibar means squat to North American buyers.

The new 2007 Tundra, on sale next month, is a much different vehicle than the one that first arrived in 1999 as a 2000 model. Those early full-size Toyota pickups came any way you wanted, as long as it was their way.

For this new Tundra, Toyota asked consumers what they wanted and then designed and built it to North American specifications for sale only on this continent.

"We're launching more than a new pickup here," says Toyota Canada managing director Stephen Beatty. "We're launching a new business.

"The full-size pickup is by far the single largest opportunity for growth on this continent."

As chief engineer Yuichgiro Obu says, "With the exception of the carryover 4.7-litre V8 engine, the new Tundra will share virtually no parts with either the current Tundra or the Tacoma."

Tundra hasn't been a flop, but neither has it been a serious player in the full-size truck wars dominated by Ford, GM and, to a lesser degree, Dodge.

Until now, that is. For with this new Tundra, Toyota is finally giving consumers the kind of variety and choice they demand when shopping for a full-size pickup. Buyers will be able to choose from Regular Cab, Double Cab or Crew Max models in 2x4 or 4x4 configurations, with either long or short boxes and a choice of powerful V8s. Only automatic transmissions are available — a five-speed with the 271-hp 4.7-litre engine and a new six-speed unit to go with the new 5.7-litre V8 that pumps out a class-leading 381 hp and 401 lb.-ft. of torque. (In Canada, no six-cylinder engine will be offered "at this time" and initially the Tundra Regular Cab will come only as a long-box model).

Toyota is counting on the fact that a lot of people already have one of the company's sedans or sport-utilities in their driveway and will welcome a pickup from the same dealership.

At first glance, and in first drives, the new Tundra models appear to be the kind of big, brawny pickups North Americans love. Yet they're full of the creature comforts consumers have come to demand of vehicles that now must be at home whether at work or at play.

The Double Cab replaces the Access Cab from the previous generation Tundra and offers a larger back seat area and a more accessible front-hinged rear door. It's back seat is quite spacious and the seating position much more comfortable than in the previous model.

But if rear seat passengers are going to be regulars, you'd be better off with the Crew Max with its extra legroom and a seat that can slide forward as well as recline.

I got to sample several Tundras recently with various trim levels and found the 40/20/40 front seat that's standard on Regular and Double Cab models just as comfortable as the optional front buckets. (Twin captain's chairs are standard on Crew Max.)

The cabin is quiet for a truck and when unloaded the ride is quite smooth. The bigger 5.7-litre V8 offers more grunt, as you'd expect, but it's also rated as the more economical with fuel consumption of 15.2L/100 km in the city and 10.9L/100 km on the highway for 4x2 versions.

The 4WD system is shift-on-the-fly and is engaged via a rotary knob on the dash. Toyota claims best-in-class towing capacity of 10,800 lbs. for the regular Cab 4x2 with the 5.7-litre V8.

All kinds of creature comforts and power accessories are offered — either as standard equipment or optional extras — and Toyota has done some interesting things with storage after consultation with both Toyota and non-Toyota owners. One of the more innovative options is a huge centre console bin that can accept hanging files — perfect for the contractor or business operator whose truck often doubles as his office.

Tundra will be assembled in its original home in Princeton, Ind., and at a new plant in San Antonio, Texas. The new facility is pioneering a radical change in vehicle assembly. Every auto manufacturer relies on outside suppliers for some component — everything from wheels to seats and dashboard assemblies. In San Antonio, 21 such suppliers are located in-plant, giving a whole new twist to "just-in-time" delivery.

Toyota wanted the Tundra to be "unmistakably recognizable at 300 yards," and I think they've succeeded. You'll know them when you see them and you should start seeing them on the roads where you live very soon.

In its usual fashion, Toyota Canada won't reveal prices until closer to launch in February.

 

glenwoodcock@canoemail.com