2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs, Review, Image

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs, Review, Image  – Occasionally, interesting opportunities are dropped into your lap and you just have to take them. Such was the case with the 2026 Toyota Tundra – well, two of them, to be exact. Following an excursion to Tuktoyuktuk, N.W.T., Toyota Canada had a pair of these new pickups in Whitehorse, Yukon, that were needed back at the automaker’s Toronto headquarters.

Shipping them via flatbed was an option, but one that would’ve cost the company $5,000 per truck, so when Toyota offered to fly me – along with friend and fellow auto writer Derek McNaughton – north to pick the trucks and drive them home, we jumped at the chance. It was a rare opportunity for an epic road trip through a good chunk of Canada’s spectacular Northern Rockies, made better by the fact that one of the two trucks was a 2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro sporting its new hybrid powertrain.

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

While ride comfort is rarely impressive for any machine meant to work as hard as a pick-up truck can do, off-road suspensions usually offer some pleasant cushiness on-road (at the expense of handling precision). The TRD Pro is stiffer than expected, but still not harsh. What’s more, the Tundra’s seats are quite good, and while AutoTrader Road Test Editor Dan Ilika found some discomfort after a few hours in the saddle during his recent test, both Derek and I remarked at how good we both felt even after a few 12-hour drive days. 2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs

The TRD Pro also gets a set of adjustable tie-down cleats, and a clever release for the damped tailgate hidden in the driver’s side taillight, but no cut-out in the bumper or clever pop-out step to help climb into the box that most of the competitors trucks have. Based on the Limited trim, the TRD Pro is already a well-equipped machine with plenty of creature comforts like a heated steering wheel, plus a giant sunroof.

Both the TRD Off Road and TRD Pro trucks get surround-view camera systems that can be useful for off-road crawling when a spotter’s not available. Engine, fuel tank, and transfer case armour, hill descent and crawl control, and a locking rear differential are added, too. The TRD Pro gets gnarly Fox shocks and a special front stabilizer bar in addition to its styling upgrades.

Engine and Performance

I started out the first drive day getting familiar with the Tundra SR5 – a crew cab variant with a longer 6-foot-5 box. I’ve long celebrated Toyota sticking with a big, old-school V8 for the previous-generation Tundra, an engine that, while hopelessly thirsty, was stout and full of vocal character. I was a little saddened by the inevitable move to a more efficient twin-turbocharged V6 in the new truck, but I quickly got over it the first time I put my foot down hard on the accelerator, the Tundra leaping forward from a standstill with authority.

Hauling more than 235 kg (518 lb) of extra mass, including the 57-kg (126-lb) battery pack, the hybrid truck’s greater power has a bigger burden to bear, and from a standstill up to about 100 km/h there is no difference in acceleration. Once up to speed, though, the hybrid’s mid- and upper-range power advantage is very noticeable over the non-hybrid truck, especially when passing slower traffic. In both trucks, under a heavy boot, the V6 sounds authoritative and there’s even a bit of turbo whistle present (even if some of the soundtrack is fabricated digitally). Maybe there really is no need to shed a tear for the V8 after all.  2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs

The Tundra’s new 10-speed automatic transmission is brilliant. Typically, gearboxes with so many cogs tend to feel like they’re constantly hunting for the right ratio, but no so this one. Shifts are smooth and seamless, but quick and decisive, and the Tundra never seems to be caught off-guard when a call comes in for immediate acceleration. The combination of this transmission and the torquey engine makes the big Toyota feel wonderfully responsive at all speeds.

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Fuel Economy

Most folks (fairly) associate the word hybrid with improved fuel efficiency above all else – especially when Toyota’s involved. In the case of the gas-electric offering in this truck, the i-Force Max moniker doesn’t hint to any sort of economy, but rather suggests abundant power – and that’s just what this system delivers.

The government rates the TRD Pro at 12.9 L/100 km in the city, 11.6 on the highway, and 12.3 combined, which puts it a little more than a half-litre better around town but a full litre worse on the highway than the non-hybrid truck we also had with us. The official combined figures are virtually identical between the two.  2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs

Over the course of our journey – with several fuel stops and more than 5,500 km covered – the Tundra TRD Pro was consistently less efficient than the non-hybrid SR5 trim by 2.0 L/100 km during the earlier part of the trip (when we were travelling at higher speeds), and by roughly 1.0 L/100 km on the latter half in more congested areas.

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Safety Features

Toyota has done a good job of loading up the Tundra with passive and active safety features. The automatic high-beam control for the LED headlights is standard across the board, but the TRD Pro gets fancier adaptive lights. There’s also forward and rear collision warning and mitigation systems, plus cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.  2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Specs

The adaptive cruise control and front collision warning systems were turned off during a few squalls in the mountains because the sensor became blocked by snow, but that is standard for any modern car. The warning message I kept getting about the trailer I wasn’t hauling was more worrisome, but since these were pre-production models, perhaps any programming errors were still being ironed out. The lane-departure intervention can be quite aggressive at times, even when switched to the lesser of the two settings, but holding the button down for several seconds will shut it down and let the driver have full control.

2026 Toyota Tundra TRD Price and Release Date

I n an age when full-size pick-ups can routinely crest the six-figure barrier, a Tundra fitted with forged wheels, high-end shocks, and all the exterior and interior features of this TRD Pro seems like a pretty good value at $80,000. Those looking for even more luxury can opt for the new range-topping Capstone edition. But with the TRD Off Road package ringing in $11,000 less than the TRD Pro, it forces the buyer to evaluate just how much the TRD Pro’s appearance and fancy shocks are really worth.