2019 Toyota Tacoma Release Date, Specs News: New Off-Road Pickup Adds Desert Air Intake
Toyota has revealed the 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro, the latest in its line of off-road specialized pickup trucks. As a limited edition release, next year's TRD Pro will feature the same Fox Internal Bypass shocks, a wider array of paint choices, and a TRD Desert Air Intake option.
"As any seasoned adventurer knows, a true off-road vehicle is only as good as its suspension. For 2019, the entire TRD Pro family rides on 2.5-inch TRD Pro-exclusive Fox Internal Bypass shocks," Toyota announced in its press release in time for the upcoming Chicago Auto Show.
Aside from the Fox shocks that will be standard fittings for all 2019 TRD Pro lines, the 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro will have a few exterior updates in addition to its own specific suspension improvements, as well. Next year's Tacoma TRD Pro pickups will have a new front skid plate that will carry the TRD designation in red lettering, and the cat-back TRD exhaust will have a new Black Chrome end piece, too.
The major exterior upgrade, and one that has all the Tacoma fans excited about this release, is the new TRD Desert Air intake that will save the 278 horsepower V6 engine from all the dust and silt that could foul it in time. While traditional air intakes are pointed at the wheel well, the elevated intake receives much cleaner air above the windshield.
As a TRD Pro truck, four-wheel drive comes standard, as Car and Driver pointed out. Depending on options, a 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro could come with an electronic terrain management system to work with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
A JBL audio system and leather seats complete the inside trim, while the exterior is accented by Rigid Industries fog lights and 16-inch TRD black rims. Prices are expected to start at or higher than $44,565, the price the 2018 Tacoma PRD Pro launched with.