2017 Tacoma TRD Pro Is Toyota's Colorado ZR2

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
2/11/2016

Earlier this afternoon Toyota unveiled the 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro. Fans of the Pro-series have been clambering for the Pro to return and were not disappointed. The new truck trim does not have any engine upgrades as standard equipment, but the exhaust and 4WD system is slightly different than the Tacoma TRD Off-Road. The main theme is style enhancements and serious suspension upgrades over an already extremely capable off-road truck.

The first thing that some in attendance thought was "Where is the Colorado version of this truck?" The Colorado is very capable off-road, but Chevy and GMC don't market anything this extreme- yet. The Z71 Trail Boss is more than most buyers will ever need, but what does "need" have to do with these special edition off-road trucks?

 

The 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro will come in just three colors and orange is not one of them. Buyers will choose from Cement, Barcelona Red Metallic, and Super White. The style enhancements include: Front grille with color-keyed surround, blacked out hood scoop and graphic, color-keyed power outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, color-keyed door handles, black overfenders, and a color-keyed rear bumper.

Many of the standard features on the TRD Pro are already found on the TRD Off-road, like the V6 engine and the Goodyear Wrangler with Kevlar tires. Here are the big upgrades in bullet point:

•16-inch TRD black alloy wheels with Goodyear Wrangler® All-Terrain Kevlar®-reinforced tires
•TRD Pro aluminum front skid plate

• 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

•4WDemand part-time 4WD with a transfer case

• Automatic Limited-Slip Differential (Auto LSD)
•Rigid Industries® LED fog lights
•Projector-beam headlights with black bezels, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and auto on/off feature
•Taillights with black bezels
•TRD Pro badge on front door with diamond-pattern knurled finish
•Black TRD Pro and 4x4 rear tailgate badging

The interior also has its own changes which include:

•Black TRD Pro leather-trimmed heated front seats with TRD Pro logo located in the headrest
•4-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and 4-way adjustable front passenger seat
•Entune™ Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite
•TRD shift knob
•TRD Pro floor mats
•Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth® hands-free phone controls
•Rear parking assist sonar
•Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Every TRD Pro also gets the V6 Tow Package that includes a Class-IV towing receiver hitch, ATF cooler (automatic only), engine oil cooler, power steering cooler, 130-amp alternator, 4- and 7-pin connector with convertor, and Trailer-Sway Control (TSC)

 

Having just tested a TRD Off-Road with the Premium and Technology Packages at $37K, expect the 2017 Toyota TRD Pro to be a $40K truck out the door.

[newdude]

GM. What. Are. You. Waiting. For.

 

This thing looks awesome. Colorado NEEDS ZR2...yesterday...

[crafferty]

So for 2017 Toyota has the new TRD Tacoma, Ford has the 2017 Raptor and Dodge has the 2017 Power Wagon. Come on GM give us something!

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[MikeNH]

I don't understand GM. They're able to do world-class sports cars but their truck division is so damn risk-averse. They won't do anything innovative.

[Daryl Z71]

I don't understand GM. They're able to do world-class sports cars but their truck division is so damn risk-averse. They won't do anything innovative.

It's definitely frustrating.

[SILVER SLED]

With Ford supposedly coming out with a smaller truck, and the Honda Ridgeline (an amazing little truck) coming back, GM better get their $hit together on the Colorado. I can see the Colorado sales dipping farther, and farther and...

[Coppertone]

GMC has the new All-terrain X, but I think it's a waste compared to the trucks mentioned here.

[BlackZ71Silverado]

If I were in the market for a small truck, that would be it! Looks like it sits nice and high for a factory truck and seems very well done. Toyota didn't cheap out when building this Tacoma, I like it.

When I read about these trucks and watch the video tests and reviews, I sure do miss my ZR2!

[BIGDOGx]

If I were in the market for a small truck, that would be it! Looks like it sits nice and high for a factory truck and seems very well done. Toyota didn't cheap out when building this Tacoma, I like it.

When I read about these trucks and watch the video tests and reviews, I sure do miss my ZR2!

 

Looks to me they share the same cost cutting moves GM uses like no hid or led headlamps. I mean i should not even have to bother noticing that for a 2017 model from any manufacture! Nice truck but stuff like that drives me crazy when i notice it, absolutely no reason for Toyota to not have up to date illumination for their pickup truck, especially one running upwards of 40 grand and boasting about this unmatched 4x4 experience. I guess just make sure it's the daytime with those horrible ancient technology halogen bulbs they look to be using from that picture! And yes i know the Colorado and Canyon also have failed to incorporate lighting that should be standard equipment today.

[Daryl Z71]

Nothing wrong with halogens, they've worked fine for years.

[MikeNH]

 

Looks to me they share the same cost cutting moves GM uses like no hid or led headlamps. I mean i should not even have to bother noticing that for a 2017 model from any manufacture! Nice truck but stuff like that drives me crazy when i notice it, absolutely no reason for Toyota to not have up to date illumination for their pickup truck, especially one running upwards of 40 grand and boasting about this unmatched 4x4 experience. I guess just make sure it's the daytime with those horrible ancient technology halogen bulbs they look to be using from that picture! And yes i know the Colorado and Canyon also have failed to incorporate lighting that should be standard equipment today.

 

 

 

Halogens are fine when you design them right. I had a 2008 Tacoma and the headlamps were excellent. I could get behind LED lighting but HID is a joke- it adds so much cost down the road once stuff starts to fail and it has such little gain. I've driven dozens of cars with real HIDs (not the chinese junk people install after the fact) and I don't get the hype.

[BIGDOGx]

 

 

 

Halogens are fine when you design them right. I had a 2008 Tacoma and the headlamps were excellent. I could get behind LED lighting but HID is a joke- it adds so much cost down the road once stuff starts to fail and it has such little gain. I've driven dozens of cars with real HIDs (not the chinese junk people install after the fact) and I don't get the hype.

 

You don't get why having twice the lumen output as a halogen bulb as a positive? Halogens are fine for a 1999 Tacoma, not a 2017 no matter how well designed the projector might be, it simply will not compete with either hid or led technology. These lights have been coming in cars for 2 decades now, it is cheap for these manufactures to adopt this technology today and they should not have any excuses.

[MikeNH]

HIDs suck. I've never understood why people get so wrapped up in them. The bulbs are absurdly expensive, they're needlessly complex with the ballasts that also cost money when they fail. HIDs are not cheap, especially in a pickup truck where they're going to need auto-leveling to function properly. LED can work, I have them in my Jeep because the factory halogens were junk. But when done right, as they were in pretty much everything else I've owned, I have no issue with them. I haven't driven a new Tacoma so who knows how they did this time but to say it's some kind of injustice to see halogens still in use is nuts- hundreds of models still use them because they work. Yes they're cheap to manufacture but they're also cheap to maintain and that's just as important, especially for something like the Tacoma where Toyota has a reputation of bullet proof-ness to keep up.

[SILVER SLED]

The hazed up headlights on my 97 GMC Sierra seem to work better than my 15 LTZ Silverado.

The hazed up headlights on my 97 GMC Sierra seem to work better than my 15 LTZ Silverado.

[BIGDOGx]

HIDs suck. I've never understood why people get so wrapped up in them. The bulbs are absurdly expensive, they're needlessly complex with the ballasts that also cost money when they fail. HIDs are not cheap, especially in a pickup truck where they're going to need auto-leveling to function properly. LED can work, I have them in my Jeep because the factory halogens were junk. But when done right, as they were in pretty much everything else I've owned, I have no issue with them. I haven't driven a new Tacoma so who knows how they did this time but to say it's some kind of injustice to see halogens still in use is nuts- hundreds of models still use them because they work. Yes they're cheap to manufacture but they're also cheap to maintain and that's just as important, especially for something like the Tacoma where Toyota has a reputation of bullet proof-ness to keep up.

 

Where are you getting this nonsense about cost, the bulbs are not even twice the price as a regular crap silver star from pep boys 40-50 per bulb and not to mention last twice as long, along with double the lumen output.

 

Sorry man your simply not going to convince me of something that i already know for a FACT is far superior to regular crap yellow as piss halogen lighting!

 

I agree Silver Sled and do you want to know what finally fixed it, GM updating to a led/hid lighting setup!