There’s a lot to like about the all-new Toyota Tamaraw. Proudly built in the Philippines, a proper workhorse truck that’s affordable across a wide price range, and a modular platform that’s extremely adaptable to any needs.
You have something that could sell itself, but Toyota Motor Philippines decided to go above and beyond in giving the media an unforgettable first experience with the all-new truck by kicking off the first-ever Lakbay Tamaraw in the home of the actual Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), in the island of Mindoro.
The journey begins in the Port of Batangas, where the cars await us on a Ro-Ro ferry. Upon disembarking at Calapan Port, this would be the start of our 155.7-kilometer journey.
With Mica De los Reyes of 2nd Opinion PH, we’re assigned to the 2.4 GL Dropside DSL AT. This retails for Php 1,075,000, and is the current top-of-the-line variant. Among the rest of the Tamaraws in the ferry, this one is the most understated due to its black paint and all-terrain tires with 17-inch Black Rhino off-road wheels to match.
This top-of-the-line variant receives projector LED headlamps, a unique grille with a silver-finished Toyota emblem, and 16-inch alloy wheels. The boxy retro-futuristic look of the Tamaraw has a secret weapon in its modularity. Multiple mounting points and the design of the bumpers allow for countless modifications, and make the truck very easy to repair in terms of accessibility and cheaper parts. Workhorse trucks like these will need to be easily fixed to minimize downtime.
Stepping inside, the utilitarian interior has a certain charm. The designers have done their best to make the interior aesthetically pleasing amidst the use of hard-wearing plastics, with relatively comfortable PVC (plastic leather) upholstery, cupholders, and a center armrest storage area. This specific variant also has an adjustable passenger-side seat, meaning we could put some of our bags behind the seats.
Interior space, when compared to other single-cab trucks, is bigger, easier to get in and out of, and offers superior visibility all around. But as someone who is 5’10”, finding the ideal driving position is a bit of an issue, as the steering wheel only offers tilt adjustments, and the seat cannot adjust too far back within the cabin.
For this top-of-the-line variant, orange accents on the dashboard, door cards, and aircon vents spice up the cabin, and luxuries like keyless entry, power windows, power-adjustable side mirrors, and a seven-inch infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto made the multiple-hour journey around Mindoro a lot more pleasant as we drove to Toyota Calapan.
Powering the Tamaraw is the 2.4-liter turbodiesel (the 2GD-FTV High) with 150 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that propels the rear wheels. Driving around town was easy, with the usual low-end torque you’d expect from a diesel motor, perfect for hauling people or a bed full of cargo.
A common sentiment among the media was that we were expecting similar performance and ride quality to your usual leaf-sprung equipped pickup trucks, but instead, we were greeted by a very engaging driving experience.
With very little insulation in the cabin, you can hear every little clatter, spool, and turbo blow-off sound the engine makes. You either rely on the automatic’s shift logic or the good old-fashioned way of shifting by ear, because there is a blank space where the tachometer goes, and other gauges are replaced by warning lights, including the temperature indicator.
Admittedly, the constant drone of the diesel will get to you after half an hour of driving, but it’s significantly quieter and more comfortable than any of the cab-over pickup trucks I’ve been in, important for people who will be driving these for multiple hours on end.
The ride, while firm, is compliant and handles really well, especially in the twisties. The hydraulic power steering is on the heavy side, but it provides excellent feedback and precision, especially when doing low-speed maneuvers.
While the lack of four-wheel drive may concern those who plan to use this in more agricultural or outdoor settings, they were all more than capable of handling light trails and unpaved roads. And for the units that were equipped with all-terrain tires, the truck makes easy work of the muddier areas and river banks.
We even got to witness the Tamaraw’s cargo-hauling capabilities firsthand as we transported the donations for the Pagturian Mangyan School in Puerto Galera, with chairs, school supplies, raincoats, and hygiene products, all spread across three different trucks. The dropside truck bed configuration made it easy to safely load and unload the products, especially where space was scarce on the school grounds.
To cap it off, we spoke with a couple of the Bantay Tamaraw Rangers, which is part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Tamaraw Conservation Program.
Speaking to us is one of the team’s oldest members, Eduardo Bata. He’s been at it for 38 years, and he admits the job isn’t easy, but it’s a heartfelt vocation for them. The meat of the tamaraws is sought after, making it one of the main reasons the animals are frequently hunted.
The volunteer rangers are usually up against poachers with proper firearms, while they have to make do with homemade shotguns and such. They lack the funding for proper equipment that would make the job easier (like trackers). They cannot touch injured tamaraws without a proper veterinarian on site.
It was a big boon for them when Toyota Motor Philippines gave a Tamaraw Utility Van (LWB) and Php 500,000 of equipment, mountaineering gear, and tools to the 18 Tamaraw Rangers. Currently, around 600 exist in the wild, and it’s their life goal to have the animal taken off the endangered list of species.
Lakbay Tamaraw is not only a way to promote the next-generation Tamaraw, but also to raise awareness for the animal and the people who protect them as a vocation. This is the first of many, and it’s exciting to see what will happen in the upcoming installments with Toyota Motor Philippines exploring more possibilities and pushing the limits of the truck for the better.
