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Five years after its public debut, the third-generation Toyota Tundra is solidly in middle age. In order to keep the full-size truck current (and hopefully allay any fears over its reliability), the automaker announced a facelift for the 2027 Tundra that, in addition to the expected styling and technology updates, also includes a new trim borrowed from the smaller Tacoma. A new Trailhunter variant will migrate to the half-ton pickup, transposing its overlanding and off-road capabilities into a larger form.
Australian Technology, American Production, Japanese Branding
As on the midsize Tacoma, the Tundra Trailhunter receives some mild tuning from the off-road legends at Old Man Emu. The Australian overlanding shop provided a new coilover front suspension and revised rear dampers– we've asked Toyota for clarification on exactly what's been changed – that should improve control in higher-speed off-road situations. We don't anticipate the Tundra to go Raptor-hunting on a flat-out desert run, but it's fair to expect a more sure-footed ride and handling when it comes to overlanding across pockmarked dirt roads and forest trails.
In those situations, Trailhunter owners should also be pretty pleased with the underbody protection included in the trim. A stamped steel skid plate provides coverage for the front bumper, radiator, and oil pan, with robust tow hooks front and rear for easier recovery and hauling. The Tundra Trailhunter also gets most of Toyota's impressive off-road technology, including low-speed Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select, as well as a locking rear differential for added traction in poor conditions.
On the Tacoma, the Trailhunter package comes exclusively with the truck's i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, but Toyota didn't specify if that would also be the case for the Tundra. The overlanding package will be based on the low-middle SR5 trim level, positioning it as a more affordable choice for folks who just want to get off-road as soon as possible. As a result, we're unsire if it'll include such features as remote-reservoir or piggyback shocks – or even if they'll be of a cheaper twin-tube or more capable monotube design.
Lots More Technology Coming To Tundra
For 2027, every single Tundra trim level – from base SR to flagship Capstone – will receive a new Toyota Multimedia infotainment system with a 14-inch screen. The software now includes a home screen with customizable widgets; previously, the automaker felt as though a home screen was redundant, although many customers wished for one. The electronics package also includes a newly standard drive recorder that takes advantage of the front and rear cameras to capture 20-second segments, either triggered automatically or by the driver.
Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 (TSS 4.0) is the automaker's latest and greatest suite of advanced driving assistance and safety features, and it comes standard on the 2027 Tundra. That means the now-commonplace adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane centering tech, lane departure prevention, and forward collision monitoring. But the new pickup will also get Proactive Driving Assist, which operates even if adaptive cruise and lane tracing aren't engaged to help the driver respond more appropriately to surrounding conditions. Control freaks, rest easy: It can be manually turned off.
The Tundra i-FORCE MAX hybrid will continue to offer a 2.4-kilowatt onboard power supply, which should be enough to power most of the tools and toys commonly seeen at both worksites and campsites. Toyota hasn't released specific powertrain specs for the 2027 Tundra yet, but we expect only small improvements – if any at all.
A Revised Design For The Big Truck
Although the company only revealed images of the Trailhunter trim in its announcement, the 2027 Tundra lineup will receive a few changes. The grille is larger than before, with a more bottom-heavy hexagonal shape. The big truck also borrows its kid sibling's under-headlight vents, and the Trailhunter model seen here adopts Rigid LED fog lights. Apart from the new center touchscreen, we're unsure of any changes Toyota applied to the Tundra's interior.
The automaker promised it would reveal more about the 2027 Tundra – including pricing, powertrain and suspension specs, and capability ratings – later this year. For now, we can pretty fairly assume the new truck will be marginally more expensive than the old one, with the Traihunter likely carrying a starting price of around $60,000.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
A revised Tundra is crucial to Toyota's continued success in the US, as the current model is a bit of a persona non grata among both loyal customers and would-be converts. The Tundra has been plagued with reliability concerns almost as soon as it arrived back in 2022, with formerly untouchable Toyota characteristics like strong resale value going down the tubes. A budget-oriented, overland-friendly off-road trim should help the automaker regain some of its mojo – as long as the new truck proves to be more reliable than its predecessor.
Source: Toyota
