Toyota Debuts New TRD Pro Series at 2014 Chicago Motor Show
Last week we looked at teasers for Toyota’s new TRD Pro Series of off-road vehicles. This morning, with the grand opening of the 2014 Chicago Motor Show, we now have full specs for the entire TRD Pro Series.
As you continue reading, we will go through each of the three performance-tuned trucks and SUV to see what’s so special about these new upgraded vehicles.
First, though, let’s quickly go over why Toyota has chosen to unveil this TRD Pro Series at this particular time. As it happens, 2014 is the 35th anniversary of Toyota Racing Development, or TRD, so it’s an important year to give Toyota’s many loyal fans something special. Each and every vehicle listed here has received a plethora of enhancements and upgrades from the TRD team. It’ll be tough, but we’ll do our best to cover the most important upgrades for each vehicle.
2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro
First up, we have the new and improved Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. This one gets new 18” black alloy wheels with Michelin ORP tires, along with 2” of additional wheel travel in the front and 1.25” in the rear. In fact, the entire front of the vehicle has been lifted 2” for additional off-road clearance. The shocks have also been made more resilient with overall less cavitation, while the springs have been loosened for “improved ride quality over harsh terrain”.
The Tundra TRD Pro also gets a new stainless steel dual exhaust system that Toyota says exhibits a manly “throaty rumble sound”. Design-wise, the exterior of the TRD Tundra gets a new front grille, new TRD Pro stamping around the bed and doors, and exclusive color-schemes of Black, Super White and Inferno Red (applies to the other TRDs too).
Inside, the Tundra gets a new shift knob and floor mats (again, this is included in all the vehicles listed below), along with a new seat color and red stitching unique to the Tundra TRD Pro.
2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Toyota’s compact pickup gets new TRD-tuned springs and that same decreased spring rate we saw in the Tundra. But, instead of 18” wheels it gets 16” black beadlock-style wheels, and BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires. However, the Taco TRD Pro only gets 1” of additional wheel travel in the front, but 1.5” in the back, while the front of the vehicle still gets an overall 2” lift. The TRD Tacoma also gets a 1/8” thick stamped silver skid plate, and a TRD Cat Back Exhaust system.
The Tacoma also gets the same TRD Pro badging throughout, both interior and exterior. However, unlike the Tundra, the Taco gets a nice little hoodscoop to go with its revised grille and bumper.
2015 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro
Just like the littlest bear in the tale of Goldilocks, the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is juuuuuuust right. It’s got new 17” black alloy wheels, 1 inch of extra wheel travel on both front and back, and a 1” higher ride overall. It still gets the same shock treatment as the others though – it’s got the upgraded remote reservoirs of the Tacoma and Tundra TRDs that allow for improved heat management and cavitation control (in other words, it rides smoother over the kind of rocky terrain seen in the image above).
Unlike the Taco and the Tundra, the TRD Pro 4Runner keeps the same exhaust system as the original. However, it makes up for it with perhaps the best new grille of the bunch… Just look at how aggressive that front clip is. What a beauty!
Of course, it also gets the same TRD-badged shifter and floor mats, and all the TRD badging around the exterior too. It also shares the Tacoma’s hoodscoop for that little bit of extra edge.
All in all, Toyota has done an excellent job of making each off-road vehicle in the TRD Pro Series feel substantially more rugged without taking away from the overall thrust of each vehicle.
Stay tuned tomorrow for more coverage of the 2014 Chicago Auto Show!
