So, a few thoughts:
Don't care for the exterior styling, although that will likely grow on me. The RED interior (as shown in the MT article) is garish, and I wouldn't have it. I"m wondering if it will look better in a more subdued colour?
NiMH vs Li-Ion is no big deal. It's the kWh that really matters. What does bother me is the battery's location under the rear seats. I would often lift one of the rear seats and pack the cab with stuff when we went camping. If I'm not able to do that on this new truck, I would seriously consider not going hybrid (which sucks, because anything to get better fuel economy is welcome). Running the high voltage cables inside the cab, resulting in a hump in the floor, also sucks. Why couldn't Toyota have put the battery between the frame rails, like Ford?
Finally, you can get a CrewMax with a 6.5' bed. That was on odd omission on the last gen. The CrewMax was great, the 5.5' bed, not so much. A foot doesn't sound like much, but it really does equal much greater volume. If I was purchasing, I'd definitely go for the CrewMax with 6.5' bed.
I think not having an onboard generator is a mistake. That was a great idea by Ford. Toyota 'says' that a generator is cheaper and easier to lug around, but the thing is, now you have to find someplace to pack it, and if you're already packing a lot of stuff, it's just one more thing to find space for. As a consumer, let ME make the decision if I want to pay for the option or not. I think Ford caught Toyota flat-footed on that one. Toyota didn't have enough time to develop their own and still make their release date.
TTV6 is what it is. I"m sure it'll have more power and torque than the V8 at all RPM ranges, but there's no way it will be as sonorous as the V8, and I doubt it will be as fun to drive. Honestly, the V8 MADE the old Tundra what it was. Fuel economy aside, it was a fantastic engine (and I miss it very, very much). The addition of a 10-speed transmission might have breathed some new life into that old V8, and increased its fuel economy substantially. Toyota could have kept it around, and I'm sure they would have sold more than a few.
Hmmm, anything else? Right, the rear air springs. Good idea. I like them. Too bad they're not available on the TRD Off-Road/Sport models. Those models tended to be the volume seller. Did they give us payload numbers, in addition to the 12 000lb towing capcity? Having a high tow capacity is useless without also having decent payload. I'd be looking for payload to at least match Ford's. I'm still waiting to see if a PHEV drops at all in the future. Toyota 'says' customers don't want it, but I disagree. I'm a customer, and I want one. There's no way I'm the only one.
