The off-road-ready TRD Pro Series trucks from Toyota get some new hardware upgrades and updates for 2019 including progressive shocks with multiple bypass zones and, for the Tacoma TRD Pro, an optional snorkel-like air intake that pulls in cleaner air even when users are off the pavement kicking up dust and dirt.
The series was launched four years ago from Toyota Racing Development — that's the "TRD" namesake — and is meant to showcase the automaker's racing and off-road heritage. The 2019 Tundra and Tacoma TRD Pro models will be available this fall, and both will be offered in three colors: Super White, Midnight Black Metallic or Voodoo Blue.
The 2019 TRD Pro trucks will ride on 2.5-in. aluminum-bodied Fox shocks that contain a combination of high-temperature fluid and nitrogen gas and are tuned specifically for each vehicle, according to Toyota. The shocks incorporate multiple bypass zones to offer a "plush" ride that gets progressively stiffer through the shocks' stroke and resists "bottoming out," providing performance damping for situations ranging from regular road use to steep, off-road rock-crawling.
At both trucks' front wheels, specially-tuned TRD springs are designed to provide a comfortable ride and additional lift, giving TRD Pro Tundra and Tacoma models a heightened stance compared to the pickups' standard variants.
The rear shocks utilize a piggyback reservoir for additional oil volume to help maintain performance during extreme use, and special dust boots on all the shocks help seal out dirt and grit. The Tundra TRD Pro features rear leaf springs, while the Tacoma TRD Pro gets progressive-rate off-road leaf springs to allow more suspension travel over rough terrain.
The mid-size Tacoma TRD Pro will be fitted with a larger front sway bar for 2019, delivering "crisp" steering and road manners, as Toyota put it. Other equipment for the Tacoma TRD Pro includes an updated front skid plate with "TRD" red lettering and cat-back performance exhaust with black chrome tip.
The truck also boasts special badging, black front grille, projector-beam headlights with black sport bezels, LED daytime running lights, LED fog lights from Rigid Industries, and taillights with black sport bezels. The pickup has a 1-in. wider track at the front and rear for added stability, courtesy of 16-in. black alloy wheels wearing P265/70R16 Goodyear Wrangler Kevlar all-terrain tires.
Buyers can spring for an optional Desert Air Intake that pulls air from above the windshield rather than inside the wheel wells where intakes typically are located. Toyota said the optional intake helps extend air filter life and improve engine health with use in harsh off-road conditions.
Inside, the Tacoma TRD Pro is accented with branded floor mats and leather-trimmed seats and features a premium JBL Audio system with subwoofer and integrated navigation and app suite.
Meanwhile, the full-size 2019 Tundra TRD Pro sports a "black treatment" for the exterior and also gets Rigid Industries LED fog lights along with LED headlights and accent lights. There's a new front grille and hood scoop that adds "double-deck" intake slots designed to accentuate the pickup's "brawny" front end, according to the automaker, and "TRD Pro" is stamped in the truck's rear quarter panels.
The Tundra TRD Pro exhales through a high-performance dual exhaust system fitted with black chrome tips. A 1/4-in. thick skid plate protects the front end down below from rocks and other hazards, and the pickup will also offer an optional moonroof.
In addition, the 2019 Tundra TRD Pro shaves off a few pounds with its new 18-in. BBS forged-aluminum satin black wheels, which Toyota said reduce weight by 3.35 lbs. per wheel. The truck gets Michelin P275/65R18 all-terrain tires for use on and off the pavement.
Inside are leather-trimmed seats with TRD Pro logos and red stitching in the dash, seats and armrests. TRD Pro-branded floor mats, shift knob and center console emblem help provide a distinctive look.
All TRD Pro models feature Toyota's Star Safety System that includes stability control, traction control, antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and "Smart Stop" functionality. Tundra and Tacoma TRD Pro models also come standard with Toyota Safety Sense P, which features a collision avoidance system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, sway warning system, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control system that utilizes radar.
