The 2024 Toyota Tacoma has a lot of cool features, but one of the most interesting is a removable Bluetooth speaker that is fully integrated into the vehicle and its available 10-speaker JBL audio system.
After a day at the beach, you simply place the JBL Flex speaker into a mount on the top of the dashboard and you’ll hear an audible click once it locks into place. The speaker then pairs to the truck’s audio system, nearly instantaneously, and begins acting as a traditional center channel speaker. It also begins recharging itself, so the speaker is ready to go whenever you want it.
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Pictures: Michael Gauthier / CarScoops
Everything is impressively well-thought-out, and Toyota employees told us the automaker came up with the original concept and sketched out a few ideas. They then worked with JBL to bring the speaker to life.
The resulting component is heavy, but that’s not surprising when you consider it has a unique locking mechanism to ensure the speaker doesn’t detach from the dashboard during an accident. That isn’t the only interesting touch as the company noted the speaker has a solid state battery.
Other than that, it’s a fairly traditional Bluetooth speaker as it has large controls and a battery that can run for up to ten hours. The speaker is dustproof and can be submerged in up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) of water. It also has a USB-C port for external power, so you can keep the party going.
While a number of automakers offer an optional Bluetooth speaker, Toyota told us ‘why simply store one, when you can make it a functional part of the vehicle.’ The company has a point and the speaker is definitely a cool party trick.
