Toyota Has Limited Tacoma for the First Time and It's Significant

For the first time in the nameplate’s history, Toyota will offer a Limited version of its mid-size Tacoma — which was the fifth-best selling truck of all trucks last month — and that’s probably a big deal.

The automaker outlined for us the lineup for the new Tacoma, which will hit dealers in September, and the walk up to the Limited trim — which is at the top trim, for now — sounded light at the bottom and heavy at the top. We’re not allowed to discuss pricing yet, so that’ll have to wait.

However, a top-end Limited trim means that Tacoma isn’t immune to the immutable First Law of Pickup Trucks: You can charge whatever you want for these things. And product planners probably have more in store for the Tacoma.

According to Toyota spokespeople, the Limited models will only account for 8 to 10 percent of the Tacoma’s overall volume, but at that clip it’ll drive profits just fine.

Last month, Toyota sold more than 17,000 Tacomas, making it the best month for the truck ever, and the fifth best-selling truck in the United States. With roughly one out of every two Tacomas being some sort of off-road or highly equipped trim — opposed to a work truck — the Tacoma has room to grow, profit-wise.

Basically what we’re saying is that instead of a belt-buckle, country-edition full-size, Toyota should make a Green Day-inspired, daddy-punk-rock version of the Tacoma for $50,000 — because that’ll sell like crazy, apparently.

Update: According to Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager Toyota in the U.S., the Limited grade is new for the Tacoma for 2016. Limited has been offered as a package before. For 2016, Toyota is moving to a grade-based, parent-child relationship in the Tacoma.