2012 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota seems to be in the middle of giving just about every model it makes a tweak, refresh or complete makeover. Yestarday’s news was packed full of Lexus models, and now we bring you the first look at the 2012 Toyota Tacoma pickup.

The images come from PickupTrucks.com, who says they’re actually screenshots from a video that was uploaded to Vimeo, but has now been deleted. The shots show various angles of the vehicle and reveal a revised front end.

Toyota has remained tight lipped, but a refreshed 2012 Tacoma is already said to go on sale in October, so chances that we are looking at the real deal are good.

Toyota desperately needs this refreshed model in order to keep too many young buyers from switching to the Colorado and Dakota. The design is fresh and shows clear inspiration from the 4Runner’s grille, while many improvement are expected in the interior department.

However, no info is available on the engine changes, and we’re concerned this will be taken completely from the 2011 model year.

This bad-boy really need a dual VVT-i 4.0 V6 and some six-speed automatic magic to help with the economy. The unit is already in the 4Runner, FJ Cruiser and Tundra, so the heart transplant looks like a sure thing.

Sales of the Tacoma are still good, so there was no need for Toyota to pump its tight cash into their pickup, especially seeing as a new generation might come in about three years.

The redesign looks OK, but it was already one of the best looking models of its kind, and improving it is hard. The hood looks more angular and flattened, yet overall, few people will be able to spot the differences.