Earlier today Pickuptrucks.com broke the news that plans for a light-duty diesel Tundra (using the 4.5L diesel from Australia) have been shelved indefinitely.
Unfortunately, this rumor doesn't make sense. Toyota needs a light-duty diesel in the Tundra in order to be competitive with Ford, Dodge, and GM products that will feature diesels in 2010 and 2011. Toyota also needs a light-duty diesel to boost their CAFE rating.
If it's true that the U.S. truck market is going "small," then producing a light-duty diesel has never made more sense. After all, many people driving 3/4 and 1-ton trucks are going to be looking for a way to downsize without sacrificing much in the way of power and performance. A light-duty diesel is the only way to go.
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