The 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro was unveiled this week at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show.
DETROIT, MI - As temperatures in Michigan plunge well below zero and snow once again covers roads, some motorists are clearly struggling with vehicles that would just as soon have their two-wheel-drive configurations firmly planted on the state's crumbling asphalt.
The 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, unveiled this week at the 2016 Chicago Auto show, is unlikely to be part of such a struggle. The off-road 2017 Tacoma TRD PRo is shown happily prancing through snowy terrain in new press photos released by Toyota.
This is the kind of activity the pickup truck was made for, after all.
Toyota says it "earns its off-road cred" with special exhaust and suspension enhancements, including:
- 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
Tacoma TRD Pro trucks have 4WDemand part-time 4WD with an electronically controlled transfer case.
The pickup is powered with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
The TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Pro Series hit mainstream Toyota products two years ago after numerous victories at Baja off-road endurance races. It was borne from the TRD off-road packages that have been avalable for Toyota trucks since 1998.
The 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro arrives at dealerships this fall. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Toyota's next-generation, mid-size Tacoma was first revealed at the 2015 Detroit auto show. The new Tacoma TRD Pro is being assembled in San Antonio, Texas.
Press preview days for the 2016 Chicago Auto Show are Thursday and Friday. The show, at Chicago's McCormick Place, is open to the public Feb. 13-21. More info: www.chicagoautoshow.com.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.