Toyota entered the full-size pickup truck segment in 1999 with Tundra model. The second generation was revealed in 2006, and that makes today a more than a decade of lifespan. If we compare the sales with previous years, it still sells good, but if we compare the sales to any American truck, they are ridiculous.
The only thing that is selling worst than it is Nissan Titan, but new model was introduced last year, and we will see whether that is going to make a difference. Besides Ram, which is three years younger, all other rivals are significantly fresher. Don’t get your hopes yet, because we are not here to present new Tundra, rather an interesting boost of existing one. Chicago Auto Show is evidently reserved for special editions, trims and packages and 2018 Toyota Tundra TRD Sport Package is one of those.
STYLING
There are three types of TRD packages when we come to Toyota. TRD Sport leans more on visual treatment, TRD Off Road enhances off-road capabilities, and TRD Pro provides the absolute maximum in any nature excursion. In this case, Tundra got Sport package, together with Sequoia, which means new sporty-meshed grille, large hood scoop, LED headlights, daylights and fog lights, body colored bumpers and mirrors and special 20-inch alloys.
On the inside, the only change would be gear shifter with TRD logo and floor mats carrying the same one. Let’s say that Sport package does bring a dose of sportiness with new grille and hood scoop, but due to the same coloring of bumpers and mirrors it also adds on elegance side.
ENGINE BAY
Nothing is changed here, 5.7-liter V8 remains, and it still delivers 381 hp and 401 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic. There is also two-speed transfer case as an option, which is a must if you intend to make the full use of your truck in noncivilized areas. The middle solution is A-Trac system, part of the 4WD offer, which tries to mimic locking differential by applying brakes to the wheel that lost traction, which then automatically sends torque to the wheel that actually got some grip. Using brakes to distribute torque is an idea that torque vectoring system use, but here it’s not intended for better cornering. A-Trac can indeed pull nice tricks in nature, but it isn’t a substitution for traditional hard-core low range gearbox, which is irreplaceable when toughest terrains are in question.
MORE NOVELTIES
As we mentioned TRD Sport is more about the looks, but besides that Toyota did spice up things a little bit under the skin also. So, new nicely tuned Bilstein shock absorbers definitely improve road manners compared to the regular version, while thicker anti-sway bars are incorporated on both ends for further lessening of body roll.
2018 Toyota Tundra TRD Sport Package Video
New thing, not directly connected to package in question, would be an introduction of Toyota Safety Sense-P features, which are now standard equipment on all trims apart from base one. This includes a Pre-Collision system with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert and Automatic High Beams, highly needed as Tundra hasn’t shined so well in crash tests.
FOR THE END
2018 Toyota Tundra TRD Sport Package stays more than decade old truck. There are much newer and more alluring alternatives over there, but if you are Toyota fan, this edition might catch your attention. Nice visual tweaks, better road handling, and more safety options are there, while the price for this package is still unknown. Anyway, Tundra continues to start with $30,000, while it ends somewhere around $50,000, so there is plenty of space for someone to find its sweet spot in between, and TRD Sport just might be it.
