2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Is Serious Ford Raptor Competition

Toyota took the wraps off its upgraded 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro edition and it’s a serious Ford Raptor competitor. 

Earlier this week Toyota teased a front grill of what most people thought would be the second generation of the 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and we where right.  According to Toyota earlier Thursday, they unveiled an upgraded and facelifted 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro pickup that will get TRD fans excited and take a serious slice of that off-road pie from Ford and their Raptor.

Around all four corners the TRD Pro benefits from Fox 2.5 internal bypass shocks with the rear sporting progressive-rate leaf springs. An all new rugged look ups the street cred for those in the off-road truck market who wanted something more aggressive from Toyota.  Take a gander at some of the pictures below as they pretty much speak for themselves.

The standard equipment list is quite long and impressive with about half being performance oriented and the other half upgrading the looks. Although you could possibly get these options in the aftermarket on your own on a budget, you won’t have that sweet factory warranty under your belt in case of any incidents. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the exterior.

You have your choice of three colors: Cement, Barcelona Red Metallic and Super White. Toyota already provides you with some of the most common options truck owners do. That includes,

• 16-inch TRD black alloy wheels with Goodyear Wrangler^® All-Terrain Kevlar^®-reinforced tires
• TRD Pro aluminum front skid plate
• Rigid Industries^® LED fog lights
• Projector-beam headlights with black bezels, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and auto on/off feature
• Taillights with black bezels
• TRD Pro badge on front door with diamond-pattern knurled finish
• Black TRD Pro and 4×4 rear tailgate badging

Inside, Toyota has seriously made on-road and off-road driving comfort that much easier with premium leather seating, a competent audio system and all sorts of sensors to keep your parking and maneuvering in check. Toyota even throws in a Go-Pro mount on the windshield as standard in a serious nod to enthusiasts who’ll no doubt share their exploits on social media. Inside you get,

• Black TRD Pro leather-trimmed heated front seats with TRD Pro logo located in the headrest
• 4-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and 4-way adjustable front passenger seat
• Entune™ Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite
• TRD shift knob
• TRD Pro floor mats
• Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth^®  hands-free phone controls
• Rear parking assist sonar
• Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Finally, there’s the performance. The same engine from 2015 carries over to 2017 but that doesn’t mean in no way does it not perform. Toyota stuffed its tried and true 3.5 liter V6 and 4WD running hear under the hood and chassis with 278 HP and 265 lb-ft. Multi-terrain select system for automatics allows Toyota’s ecu to regulate wheel spin automatically adjusting throttle and traction control.

Manual-equipped TRD Pro’s get Active Traction control that ““uses the 4-channel ABS system to control power flow to the front and rear wheels, all without cutting throttle input, to help make traction no matter where you may be.”

Then there are those shocks.

•  FOX 2.5 Internal Bypass shocks tuned by TRD
• TRD-tuned front springs with a 1-inch lift
• TRD-tuned rear suspension with progressive-rate off-road leaf spring

Toyota adds their V6 Towing package that not only keeps all your engine vitals cool but doubles as serious off-roading equipment.  CRAWL control makes short work of hill descents and Hill Start Assist Control does the same sort of magic going up a hill.

Here’s the best part.

"Like all Toyota vehicles, the Tacoma TRD Pro receives a 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items. Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and corrosion with no mileage limitation. The Tacoma also comes standard with Toyota Care, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first."

Photo Credit: Toyota

Photo Credit: Toyota

Photo Credit: Toyota

Photo Credit: Toyota

Photo Credit: Toyota

Photo Credit: Toyota

Let’s get one thing straight. The 2017 Toyota TRD Pro series will not actually outperform a Ford Raptor with its monstrous V6 Ecoboost and serious off-roading chops. Like the Ram Rebel Wagon, the Tacoma TRD Pro will cater to the large majority of those, for the lack of a better term, want the image without all the hassle of wrenching or sacrificing on-road comfort for off-road performance.

Next: The SEMA Edition 2016 Toyota TRD Camry Is A Mid-Sized Sedan Dad Bod

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Toyota has fired a serious salvo in this truck market and with gas being cheap as it is, it couldn’t have come at a better time.