Toughened-Up Toyota Tundra Coming To Fight Ford Raptor: Report

It's allegedly based on the Desert Chase Tundra concept from SEMA.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Jan 25, 2022 at 2:16pm ET

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Trucks that can do truly truck things, like gobble up miles of off-road desert as if it's dessert, are quite popular, and automakers are eager to cash in on the trend. The Ford F-150 Raptor helped pave the way for trucks like the Ram 1500 TRX, and it seems Toyota could join the fray as well, if a new report from The Drive is accurate.

The report says that Toyota is currently developing a toughened-up Tundra based on the TRD Desert Chase Tundra that Toyota debuted at last year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. That truck received a host of off-road goodies that included a long-travel suspension, building off the all-new 2022 Tundra TRD Pro. The show truck received beefy 37-inch tires wrapped around lightweight 18-inch forged aluminum wheels. Keeping it all contained is an aggressive widebody kit. Toyota also added several visual upgrades like a pair of spare tires in the truck bed and additional lighting.

Gallery: 2022 Toyota Tundra: First Drive

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The Drive cites a tipster "with inside knowledge" about the truck as the source of this behind-the-scenes information. The Drive reached out to Toyota for a comment about the truck, but the automaker told the publication that it doesn't discuss new products. We have also reached out to Toyota, though we don't expect to receive a different response. We’ll update the story if we hear back. Automakers aren't fans of giving away their plans.

The Desert Chase Tundra also packed the company's i-Force Max twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 under the hood, which produces 437 horsepower (326 kilowatts) and 583 pound-feet (790 Newton-meters) of torque. If Toyota is actually preparing a Raptor fighter, then the hybrid V6 would put it pretty close to the Ford that makes 450 hp (335 kW) from its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. With a new-generation Tundra finally here, it only makes sense for the company to expand what it offers as trucks continue to sell well.

Source: The Drive