A Look at the DPWH 2022 Toyota Tundra

I like pickup trucks.

No wait, I love them.

And what’s not to love about them, right?

They’re big, can seat a reasonable number of people if you have a double cab, and you can load almost anything in the back.

Our daily driver is a Mitsubishi L200 Endeavor XT which in its day was a powerful and popular truck to have. These days, I only find a few running on the road or parked in someone’s garage.

Ours still manages to do a weekly long distance run (if you call 40km long distance…) and gets driven daily for short errands or school runs.

Something a 2022 Toyota Tundra might be too much of a truck for if it’s going to be used for most of the things we do with our current pickup truck.

But… I can dream…

And since everyone’s talking about it because of the current DPWH scandal, it wouldn’t hurt to dip a little in that pool but still come up with something useful, right?

So, What is the 2022 Toyota Tundra?

The Toyota Tundra 2022 is Toyota’s full reboot of its half-ton pickup. New bones (TNGA GA-F), twin-turbo V6 power, a proper hybrid option, coil rear suspension, and interiors that finally feel current.

It’s still reliable and sensible — but now it’s also trying to be desirable.

Not that it wasn’t when it first came out. It’s just that the previous models were more utilitarian than the current one which seems to have found the perfect balance between usefulness and beauty.

This is a beautiful truck.

Photos don’t do it justice.

Up close, the 2022 Toyota Tundra is massive.

The new front end is broad and purposeful. The cabin feels spacious. The CrewMax rear seats? Almost lounge-level roomy. Materials are better than before — softer surfaces, tasteful trim, and fewer cheap plastics (though some panels still feel ordinary; reviewers noted this too).

Stand beside it. You’ll notice the heavy, fully-boxed frame and the way the wheel arches sit. It shows presence without shouting.

You barely need to do anything to make this stand out in a crowded parking lot.

Everyone seems to think so.

And it’s beautiful enough to spark nationwide conversations.

Especially here in Davao city.

What’s Under the Hood?

The surprising thing about the 2022 Toyota Tundra is that it dropped the V8 engine.

Instead, it uses a modern 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 tuned in different states of tune and an optional hybrid called i-Force Max that producesroughly 348–389 hp (depending on the model) and strong torque (varies by tune).

The Hybrid i-Force Max which is only found on the TRD Pro variant produces about 437 hp combined and a tsunami of torque (over 500–580 lb-ft depending on spec).

Coupled with a 10 speed automatic transmission, this truck can seriously haul its… er… its massive behind. Although some say it’s not really that fast. But what do they expect? It’s a truck. They’re not meant to be fast. They’re meant to be slow and strong.

Maybe the 2022 Toyota Tundra isn’t fast but it can be very quick when it needs to be based on what’s on the tech sheet. This means it may be good for acceleration and overtaking but not so for long drives and there is that real world risk of a throttle lurch if you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic so keep a good distance from the car in front of you to avoid any unwanted fender benders.

That massive power under the hood also means this is a good pickup truck for towing which is perfect once my delusional dreams of grandeur of being rich comes true. That means I’ll be able to tow my houseboat around whenever and wherever I want to.

Special Features

Coil rear suspension (or air on some trims): gives a much more comfortable ride than old leaf-spring trucks.
Large screens: up to a 14-inch centre display and 12.3-inch digital cluster on premium trims.
Modern Connectivity – Wireless Apple Carplay or Android Auto, USB ports, phone wireless charging…
Toyota Safety Sense: lots of driver aids standard — adaptive cruise, AEB, lane keep, blind-spot monitoring. IIHS Top Safety Pick+ on many specs.
Hybrid torque assist: instant low-end pull when you need it. Great for towing and hauling.
TRD Off-Road / TRD Pro: proper off-road kit if you want to stray from pavement.
Retracting Rear Window – this is a really cool feature that I first witnessed on my sister’s Mitsubishi Strada which is a really nice feature because it adds to the air circulation inside the cabin.

Drive systems: 2WD and 4WD options; TRD Pro usually has 4WD standard.
Suspension: independent front, coil (or air) rear — translates to less bone-jarring rides compared to old leaf spring trucks.
Brakes & safety: big vented discs front/rear and advanced braking/traction tech to keep a heavy truck under control.
Ventilated and Heated Seats – Oooohhh….

More Detailed Tech Specs

I’ve kept this non-techie. I know my way around a basic car’s features but I am in no way an expert. Maybe I know a little bit more than the average dude. Read it like a spec card for people who want facts without the geekery.

Model: Toyota Tundra 2022 (XK70, 3rd gen)
Platform: TNGA GA-F, body-on-frame
Engine (gas): 3.4 L twin-turbo V6 (V35A-FTS) — 348–389 hp
Engine (hybrid): i-Force Max — V6 + motor, ~437 hp combined
Transmission: 10-speed automatic (Aisin)
Torque: 400–580+ lb-ft range depending on engine/trim
Towing capacity: up to ~12,000 lb (trim dependent)
Payload: up to ~1,940 lb (trim dependent)
Suspension: Independent front / Coil rear (air optional)
Infotainment: up to 14-inch touchscreen; wireless CarPlay/Android Auto
Safety: Extensive driver assist suite; IIHS Top Safety Pick+ on many specs
Curb weight: ~5,100–6,100 lb (varies by configuration)
Cab/bed configs: Double Cab and CrewMax; multiple bed lengths

I’d Still Go for the Older Model

I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I think I’ll still go for the pre-2022 model Toyota Tundra.

Make no mistake about it though, the 2022 Toyota Tundra is a beautiful pickup. It’s enormous, intimidating, magnificent.

But it’s large size, rugged beauty, and price tag will mean that it will never see any action in the mud if I ever I should be fortunate enough to own one.

It will also not be as useful for me as a truck for driving to let’s say Calinan via the Luman road where the roads are too narrow for even two regular width vehicles.

Even the previous model was a bit too wide for Davao roads.

So yeah, that seriously cripples the Toyota Tundra as an adventure machine and makes it more like a show horse that isn’t allowed to really rip through the fields because we Filipinos weirdly associate ourselves too much with our vehicles and treat it more like a dainty person than a tool that’s meant to serve our needs.