If you’re looking for the Tundra Trailhunter to have a similar setup as the Tacoma or 4Runner, this isn’t quite what you expected.
It’s been about four years since Toyota initially teased the idea of the Tundra “Trailhunter”, a more capable off-road model within the truck’s increasingly complex lineup. The concept showed a lifted suspension setup, beefier bumpers with actual tow/recovery hooks, skid plates, a roof rack, a tent and even an onboard refrigerator. Even if the production model didn’t include the more unique camping-focused bits, we expected the full-size production Trailhunter to more or less mirror the smaller Tacoma. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t (and I have a theory as to why).
Toyota announced more details on the refreshed 2027 Tundra lineup Tuesday morning. In those details, the automaker mainly focused on the new Trailhunter, while alluding to more details later on in the fall. Essentially, the new Trailhunter package — and the word package is key here — is based on the SR5 trim, while bringing a bit more capability to the table than your everyday Tundra might.
To that end, the Tundra Trailhunter gets upgraded Old Man Emu suspension, front recovery hooks from the factory (finally), and additional underbody protection. So far, so unsurprising. Trailhunter further brings a locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control, so in that regard it’s closer to the TRD Off-Road in terms of capability. You also get a pair of RIGID LED fog lights that have been upgraded for brighter output, and of course the same Trailhunter badging we’ve seen on both Tacoma and 4Runner.
Then, we move on to the tires. Are they BFGoodrich KO2s or KO3s? Maybe some Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs or Territory ATs, like on the Tacoma Trailhunter? Sure as shootin’, they aren’t! Instead, you get a set of 265/70-R18 Michelin LTX Trails, which to quote the manufacturer: “Take on paved roads and trails…offering long-lasting on and off-road safety?” Beyond the visual clues, the fact that Michelin mentioned pavement first in both sentences tells you all you need to know about how “aggressive” these tires are for true trail hunting. Granted, the TRD Off-Road generally gets a set of Falken Wildpeak A/T3Ws which…isn’t great (but at least they’re billed for “adventure”).
You can swap tires, sure, but what about the rest of the package?
If the feature set I rattled off for the 2027 Toyota Tundra Trailhunter sounds familiar, that’s because it should be. Give or take a couple tweaks like the OME suspension, this strikes me as a replacement for the recent TRD Rally package. You get skid plates, some off-road shocks, an electronic locking rear differential, and some aesthetic tweaks to make it more distinctive to your commonplace SR5.
That said, because the Trailhunter is based on the SR5 — where Toyota has a little more wiggle room in the pricing structure — it also won’t cost what the range-topping TRD Pro does. Currently, the 2026 Tundra SR5 with the TRD Rally package comes in at about $67,255. However, the TRD Rally package also forces you to spend a couple extra thousand dollars on the 3-inch suspension lift…and it doesn’t seem like the Trailhunter does. So, when Toyota formally prices the 2027 lineup (we don’t have those numbers just yet), it may land somewhere in the mid-$60K range. Essentially, it’s at the upper end of the non-hybrid Tundra stack, but not up in the same ether as the TRD Pro.
Why? Because folks have a strong suspicion Toyota is planning another off-road-capable Tundra: the TRD Hammer. Essentially, the hope here is that the automaker is planning an ‘R’ version of the TRD Pro — a more hardcore Baja-flavored truck to properly take on the Ford F-150 Raptors, Chevy Silverado ZR2s and Ram 1500 RHOs of the world. Maybe not TRX or Raptor R levels of power, but you get the idea. More grunt, huge lift, beefier tires, the whole shebang. Toyota has not confirmed that yet, but it’s definitely been flirting with the notion…so having Trailhunter, TRD Pro and a potential TRD Hammer at the top of the Tundra lineup (alongside Platinum, 1794 Edition, Capstone, etc.) would be crowded, to say the least.
Again, that’s just a theory, at least for now. As it stands, though, the SR5-based Trailhunter offers the 2027 Tundra capability levels between the TRD Off-Road package and the established (but hybrid-only) TRD Pro.
What about the other trims in the 2027 Toyota Tundra lineup?
Outside the news of the Trailhunter trim, Toyota only announced a few other changes to the rest of the Tundra range, with more news to come. The interior, for example, gets some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it subtle changes, but there are a few items worth mentioning. The 14-inch infotainment screen is now standard across the whole range, and packs the latest version of Toyota’s multimedia system.
Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 also comes standard, featuring a host of driver assistance features. The latest 4.0 system focuses on more proactive than reactive elements, so Proactive Driving Assist can anticipate driving conditions to help out more smoothly with keeping a proper distance from other vehicles and adapting to upcoming curves, at least in theory. There are better sensors and cameras to further hone the truck’s Pre-Collision System’s ability to detect both vehicles and pedestrians over earlier versions.
On the i-Force Max trims, Toyota offers up a 2.4-kW onboard inverter, offering power for tools or recreational equipment similar to Ford’s ProPower Onboard system. The 2027 Tundra also gets a built-in dashcam system, using the vehicle’s exterior cameras (front and rear or 360-degrees, depending on the model) to capture 20-second clips either when prompted manually or triggered by an event like an accident. The latest multimedia system gets an upgrade to a 5G modem (through AT&T) to access connected services and offer a Wi-Fi hotspot, there are new “Hey Toyota” voice functions, and Toyota is offering digital key functionality with a Remote Connect subscription.
Generally speaking, powertrain options for the 2027 Toyota Tundra are the same as before. Non-hybrid models get the same 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 on its own, putting out 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Hybrid, i-Force Max options get a boost to 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque, and you get a 10-speed transmission and the option of two- or four-wheel drive, depending on the model. Again, pretty standard stuff, and the trim stack isn’t changing either, apart from the Trailhunter package. SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794 Edition, TRD Pro and Capstone are all still here.
We’ll have more information and pricing in the fall, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, check out Andre’s notes and impressions on the new Trailhunter below:
