For the 2022 model year, Toyota will offer not one but two off-road-oriented special editions of its Tacoma midsize truck. The TRD Pro you may be used to is back. A new Tacoma Trail Edition joins it.
Toyota just announced everything about the two trucks except their prices and release dates. For reference, the 2021 TRD Pro starts at $44,325 (plus a $995 delivery fee). We expect to see a small price increase for the new year. The TRD Trail Edition is a new entry, harder to predict. We estimate it will come in a little below $40,000.
2022 Tacoma TRD Pro
First, the one you’re used to:
Toyota develops a new Tacoma TRD Pro every year. It’s always the top of the Tacoma lineup, always tweaked with trail-ready features other Tacomas don’t get, and always offered in an exclusive color to set it apart. For 2022, that’s all still true, and the dial has been turned up a bit.
Under the hood, the TRD Pro carries a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 278 horsepower. A cat-back exhaust system, Toyota says, “provides some additional growl.” It is available with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic.
Serious Suspension Upgrades
The 2022 TRD Pro will sit half an inch higher than any previous TRD Pro. The suspension lift is 1.5 inches taller than a standard Tacoma in front and an inch taller at the rear. Skid plates protect the undercarriage should you misjudge that half-inch difference. Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks and custom control arms give it more suspension angle than last year’s TRD Pro.
Approach, breakover, and departure angles are all impressive — 36.4, 26.6, and 24.7 degrees, respectively. Those exceed what most trucks can manage but still don’t get close to the Jeep Gladiator’s absurdly forgiving angles.
Loud Exclusive Color
That exclusive color this year is Electric Lime Metallic. White, Grey, and Black options are available if electric limes aren’t your thing. As always, it’s covered in TRD badges. This year’s model gets exclusive glossy black wheels.
Inside, the TRD Pro comes with black leather heated front seats with 10 directions of adjustment for the driver. Automatic transmission models come with a power moonroof and premium JBL stereo.
2022 Tacoma Trail Edition
Second, the new entry:
The Tacoma Trail Edition is functionally an all-new entry. Toyota has offered a trail package in the past, but it was limited to appearance tweaks. The 2022 Tacoma Trail Edition has actual performance enhancements, making it a better off-road truck than the standard Tacoma.
New Off-Road Capabilities
Thanks to beefier front coil springs, it sits 1.1 inches higher than the base model in front, and half an inch higher at the rear wheels. An approach angle of 34 degrees, breakover angle of 26.4, and departure angle of 23.6 help it get into spots a standard Tacoma can’t. Standard skid plates protect the underside. All-terrain tires sit half an inch wider than on other Tacoma models.
New Colors
Buyers can choose Army Green, Midnight Black Metallic, Super White, and a new, exclusive shade called Lunar Rock. Bronze accents on the grille and bronze lettering on badges work nicely with the exclusive bronze wheels.
The Trail Edition includes lockable bed storage. On the driver’s side, storage is lined to serve as a cooler. A 120-volt outlet in the bed lets owners power tools or gear for tailgating.
