2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition and TRD Pro get lifted
The off-road-focused versions of the popular midsize truck will have more goodies for next year.
Toyota is beefing up its offerings for the 2022 Tacoma in the form of an upgraded TRD Pro and Trail Edition. These aren't full refreshes -- the Tacoma has been riding on the same platform since 2015, an eternity in car years -- but it's nice to see that Toyota isn't just resting on its best-selling midsize truck laurels.
Both trucks will have improved suspension components. The SR5-based Trail Edition will get a 1.1-inch lift in the front with a half-inch lift in the rear. An air dam delete now means 34 degrees of approach angle and 9.4 inches of ground clearance. Similarly, the breakover and departure angles improve to 26.4 degrees and 23.6 degrees, respectively. The Trail Edition also gets a standard locking rear differential and will only be offered as a double cab short bed in four-wheel drive with skid plates.
The hero TRD Pro gets a lift as well, now riding at 1.5 inches of lift in the front and a half inch in the rear. Like the Trail Edition, geometry gets better with the lift -- 36.4 degree approach, 26.6 degree breakover and 24.7 degree departure angles. The Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks have the same tune, but new aluminum-forged upper control arms adjust the angle of the ball joint mount, allowing for more droop travel.
Think of the Tacoma Trail Edition as a baby TRD Pro.
Both trucks will get 16-inch TRD wheels wrapped in Goodyear rubber, but the Trail Edition's are a groovy bronze color with an increased track width. The bronze theme continues in the Trail Edition on the Toyota lettering across the new heritage-inspired grille. The trucks will also get black badging and new available hood graphics.
Toyota says that the TRD Pro's "most eye-catching change" is a new TRD Pro stamping on the rear quarter panel of the truck. Uh... no, y'all. The most eye-catching change on the TRD Pro is the absolutely stunning Electric Lime Metallic paint. Who cares about badging when you can get a color like this? The Trail Edition gets into the act too, sort of, with a new Lunar Rock color. Oh, yay... another shade of gray.
The rest of the trucks remain the same, including the 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. However, only the TRD Pro is available with your choice of a six-speed manual or an automatic with the same number of ratios. The Trail Edition is automatic only.
Fancy new upper control arms should allow for more droop travel.
Also remaining for 2022 is the super-cool in-bed lockable storage and driver's side cooler in the bed of the Trail Edition. The cat-back exhaust and LED fog lights are still on the TRD Pro, too.
Toyota's Entune infotainment system, also old as rocks, carries over on both trucks as well. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa are standard, though, so you won't have to work within the native system. Standard driver's aids include precollision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert and automatic high beams.
As to when we'll get a proper new Taco, your guess is as good as ours, but at least this current one continues to age gracefully. No word on pricing for 2022 yet, but both trucks will go on sale this fall.
