Trucks that can actually do truck things, like gobble miles of desert as if they were dessert, are quite popular, and automakers are eager to cash in on the trend. The Ford F-150 Raptor helped pave the way for trucks like the Ram 1500 TRX, and it looks like Toyota could join in too, if a new report from Drive accurate.
The report says that Toyota is currently developing a tough Tundra based on the TRD Desert Chase Tundra that Toyota debuted at last year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The truck received a number of off-road goodies that included a long-travel suspension, build on the all-new 2022 Tundra TRD Pro. The show truck received sturdy 37-inch tires wrapped around lightweight 18-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels. Keeping it all contained is an aggressive widebody kit. Toyota has also added some visual enhancements such as a spare pair of tires on the tailgate and additional lighting.
Drive cites a “with insider knowledge” tipster about trucks as the source of this behind-the-scenes information. Drive contacted Toyota for comment about the truck, but the automaker told the publication it was not discussing a new product. We have also contacted Toyota, although we do not expect to receive a different response. We’ll update the story when we hear back. Automakers don’t like to give away their plans.
The Desert Chase Tundra also packs an i-Force Max twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 under the hood, which makes 437 horsepower (326 kilowatts) and 583 pound-feet (790 Newton-meters) of torque. If Toyota is really working on a Raptor fighter, then the V6 hybrid will put it pretty close to Ford’s 450 hp (335 kW) of its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. With the new-generation Tundra finally here, it made sense for the company to expand on what it offers as the trucks continue to sell well.
