Tacoma owners love to get outside and explore, and the 2022 Trail Edition adds some key upgrades that make it the ideal travel companion. CALTY Design Research, Toyota’s American design studio in Newport Beach, Calif., and Ann Arbor, Mich., helped give the Tacoma an unmistakably athletic and stylish identity. The Tacoma is assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Baja California (TMMBC), in Baja California, Mexico. Based on the best-selling SR5 grade and only available in 4×4 Double Cab, Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition gets additional lift both at the front and rear of the truck to help tackle the road less traveled. Modern times require modern vehicles and, arguably, one theme rises above the rest for vehicle attributes: versatility. One of the greatest multi-purpose vehicles on the market is the mid-size pickup truck leader, 16 years and running, the Toyota Tacoma. First introduced in 2020, the Tacoma Trail Edition returns with an emphasis on storage, styling, value, and a focus on off-road performance built around the Tacoma 4×4 Double Cab.
Based initially on SR5 4×4, Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition gets upfitted with a standard locking rear differential to offer added traction when it’s needed most in slow-speed four-wheel-drive situations. Reinforcing the fact that some of the most important parts are the ones you don’t see, the undercarriage skid plates are borrowed from the TRD Off-Road grade to provide added protection. Toyota engineers lifted the front of the new Tacoma Trail 1.1 inches thanks to taller coil springs. The front air dam found on the standard SR5 is deleted to help improve ground clearance. With the air dam removal and the front suspension lift the approach angle of the truck improves to 34 degrees. The rear suspension receives attention too, and it is lifted 0.5 inches thanks to a spacer between the rear axle housing and leaf springs to help level the truck’s profile and improve departure angle to 23.6 degrees. Breakover angle is also improved to 26.4 degrees.
Every Tacoma is also equipped with the Star Safety System, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop brake override technology (SST). Tacoma also features the driver and front passenger Advanced Airbag System, driver and front passenger knee airbags, and front and rear Roll-sensing Side Curtain Airbags. Active head restraints for the Tacoma’s front seats are designed to move up and slightly forward during a rear-end collision to help reduce the risk of whiplash. Additional standard safety features include a Tire Pressure Monitor System. Although the Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition gains some added off-road performance thanks to its lift, that doesn’t mean that Tacoma’s standard safety features were forgotten. TRD engineers ensured the Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) features are all standard. TSS-P includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beams.
Regardless of paint choice, black exterior badging accents the truck, a new Trail Edition badge is fitted on the rear tailgate, and the rear bumpers are now color-keyed to match the exterior paint color. Tacoma Trail Edition greets paved and unpaved roads with the heritage-inspired grille first found on TRD Pro, but this grille stands apart thanks to its unique bronze-colored lettering. Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition comes standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. The engine features Toyota’s VVT-iW technology and Atkinson-cycle combustion to help maximize efficiency, and it also employs Toyota’s D-4S fuel injection system that incorporates both direct injection and port injectors. The Tacoma Tow Package comes standard on V6-equipped models, like Tacoma Trail Edition, offering the Double Cab model a maximum towing capacity of 6,400 pounds (per the SAE J2807 tow standard). The package includes a Class IV towing receiver hitch, engine oil cooler, transmission fluid cooler (automatic transmission only), power steering cooler, 130-amp alternator, 4- and 7-pin connector with converter, and Trailer-Sway Control (TSC).
