Blog

Automotive product planners (VLMs) work with engineering, design, finance and marketing departments in an effort to make a vehicle attractive. Whether that attraction comes in the form of capability, styling, lease rates or message they are ultimately charged with helping sell the product.
Sometimes the decisions to change a vehicle makes perfect sense and help improve the desirability or attractiveness of a vehicle – especially a vehicle that has to sell well over the course of a long production run (like 8 years or more!). We’ve noticed one of the ways Toyota freshens up their Tacoma ‘s is with a new front grille. In fact, in the last 4 years Toyota has installed 3 different factory front grilles into the Tacoma – from the black 2-bar to argent 2-bar to a black single bar (2011).
2011-

This change does alter the front fascia of the pickup but does it improve attractiveness or is it seen as a cheap attempt to ‘freshen’ a vehicle with minimal effort?
Has Toyota always changed the front grille for the better? We’ve heard a few complaints about the ‘agrent’ (silver color) grille (2009 & 2010) and it appears that the 2011 Tacoma grille has some current gen 4Runner DNA.
It looks like Toyota has changed the front grille at least 8 times over the last 16 years…
Has it always been an improvement? What do you think?

2009-2010

2005-2008

Grilles from previous generations:
2002-2004

1999

1997

1996

1995