It’s not often that an automaker is willing to poke fun at itself, but in its latest social media post, Toyota is teasing both its next-generation Tacoma, and its patent department for perhaps spoiling a surprise.
The Toyota USA Instagram account posted a panorama shot of the existing Tacoma today. That may not seem too remarkable, but the caption “Patented good looks…” suggests that there is more going on here than meets the eye.
Indeed, stitched together, we can see that the truck is parked in front of a building that it labeled “Brazilian Patent Office.” That is likely a nod to the patent drawings of a new Toyota truck that were published by the Brazilian Patent Office, and widely reported on in January.
More: 2024 Toyota Tacoma Revealed In Patent Photos, Looks Like A Smaller Tundra
Those renderings showed a thoroughly visually updated medium-sized truck that borrowed many design cues from the 2023 Toyota Tundra. A hexagonal grille, rugged, rectilinear body panels, and chunky cladding over the wheel arches combined to make a modern-looking truck.
Meanwhile, the eagle-eyed members of the Tacoma4g forum noticed that a blurry vehicle in the background of the photo appeared to have many of that truck’s design features. That includes the hexagonal grille and the headlights, with an apparent air intake that looks like a stream of tears below them.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma design trademarks from the Brazilian Patent Office
Finally, the Tacoma in the foreground of the image’s license plate may also provide us with a hint about the upcoming truck. The plate reads “040423,” which could be read as a date: April 4, 2023.
That suggests that the fourth-generation, 2024 Toyota Tacoma may be unveiled in just a week’s time. In addition to the updated looks, rumors suggest that the new model will be based on the same platform as the Tundra, and will be offered with a hybrid powertrain. We will apparently find out for sure very soon, so be sure to check back on Tuesday for everything there is to learn about the 2024 Toyota Tacoma.