#VOTY2024: The Winner Is…
It took a lot of work to deliver a winner for 2024.
Awarding the eighteenth #VOTY was not an easy task to accomplish. It was a tight vote in the end, but a winner has been called.
The thing about this winner was beyond the story. It is about the marketplace. How the price of vehicles have challenged consumers to find the right vehicle for what they can afford. It is also about the evolution of a single segment of vehicles. A transformation that is dictated by the push towards replacing displacement with other forms of performance enhancement.
As the segment moved towards this trend, one such vehicle took things a bit further. It recognizes that electrification would have to be a factor in extending its leadership in the segment.
With that said, Victory & Reseda is happy to announce that its 2024 Vehicle of The Year Award goes to…
The Toyota Tacoma!
The sales leader among mid-size pickup trucks, the "Taco" was reimagined on the TNGA-F platform now underpinning all body-on-frame vehicles. From there, Toyota developed a mid-size pickup truck that would be powered by turbocharged four-cylinder engines instead of a V6. Then, they added the I-FORCE MAX hybrid driveline that adds electrification to the mix.
At every turn, improvements were made to the Tacoma. Added engineering, such as the eight-speed automatic transmission and the retention of a six-speed manual gearbox. New technology seen on other Toyotas, including the larger Tundra pickup truck. The list of imporvements is a long one.
In all, Toyota made a lot of improvements to the Tacoma. After a few runs in three different versions, it proved more than what was said in its marketing and publicity material. This mid-size truck raised the bar at what is possible in the segment.
We would like to congratulate Toyota Motor North America on their fourth #VOTY and their second for the Toyota brand.
You can also watch the announcement here:
All photos by Randy Stern