TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development, the company’s performance and off-road division. On the 2019 Tacoma, three distinct grades carried the TRD name: the TRD Sport, the TRD Off-Road, and the range-topping TRD Pro. Each was tuned for a different use, and none of them changed the truck’s engines or transmissions. All three used the 3.5-liter V6. This article covers what each TRD grade included, what it cost, and how they differed.
One Engine Across the TRD Range
Every 2019 Tacoma TRD grade used the 3.5-liter 2GR-FKS V6, rated at 278 hp at 6,000 rpm and 265 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. The engine is a 24-valve design with direct and port fuel injection (D-4S) and an Atkinson-cycle mode. Buyers could choose a six-speed automatic or, on certain configurations, a six-speed manual. Four-wheel drive was standard on TRD grades. Towing capacity was roughly 6,400 lb on the four-wheel-drive Double Cab configurations.
TRD Sport
The TRD Sport was the entry point to the TRD line. It combined the V6 with sport-tuned shock absorbers, 17-inch alloy wheels, a hood scoop, and a body-color grille and bumpers, aiming at buyers who wanted a sharper on-road feel and a more aggressive look rather than maximum off-road hardware. In the US it started at $32,545, and it could be ordered with the six-speed manual on certain cab and bed combinations.
TRD Off-Road
The TRD Off-Road shifted the emphasis to trail capability. It added an electronically locking rear differential, off-road-tuned suspension, a multi-terrain select system, and skid plates. It started at $33,800 in the US and was also available with the six-speed manual. This grade was the most popular TRD choice for buyers who actually used four-wheel drive off pavement.
Standard on TRD Off-Road models were a locking rear differential, multi-terrain select, crawl control on automatic trucks, and underbody skid plates. The grade rode on 16-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires and used a distinct front grille. These additions made it the value pick for buyers who wanted real trail hardware without the price of the TRD Pro.
TRD Pro
The TRD Pro was the most heavily equipped off-road Tacoma. For 2019 it featured TRD-tuned off-road suspension with 2.5-inch FOX Internal Bypass shocks, a quarter-inch-thick aluminum front skid plate, a TRD Pro cat-back exhaust, Rigid Industries LED fog lights, a heritage “TOYOTA” grille, a hood scoop with a matte-black decal, black overfenders, and 16-inch black alloy wheels with all-terrain tires. Interior equipment included black leather-trimmed heated front seats, a power moonroof, a TRD shift knob, and TRD floor mats. A high-mount desert air intake was available as an option.
- TRD Pro suspension with 2.5-inch FOX Internal Bypass shocks.
- Quarter-inch aluminum front skid plate.
- TRD Pro cat-back exhaust and Rigid Industries LED fog lights.
- 16-inch black alloy wheels with all-terrain tires and a heritage grille.
Toyota had brought the TRD Pro name back to the Tacoma for 2017 after a one-year pause. The FOX Internal Bypass shocks are the technical centerpiece: instead of a conventional valve stack, oil is routed through internal bypass zones that soften the ride in the middle of the travel and stiffen near full compression, which helps a truck handle rough ground at speed.
Dimensions and Capability
TRD grades are four-wheel drive with about 9.4 inches of ground clearance and, on short-bed trucks, a 127.4-inch wheelbase and 212.3-inch overall length. Width runs 74.4 to 75.2 inches and height is 70.6 inches. Curb weight is roughly 4,400 to 4,500 pounds, and the fuel tank holds 80 liters. A four-wheel-drive V6 Tacoma, including TRD models, is rated to tow about 6,400 lb and to carry a payload of about 1,620 lb, and every V6 truck comes with a Class IV hitch, a seven-pin wiring harness, and trailer sway control.
What Was New for 2019
For 2019, Toyota offered the TRD Pro equipment as a package on the TRD Off-Road and TRD Sport trims, rather than only as a standalone grade. That package added the high-mount desert air intake, an upgraded stereo, a redesigned skid plate, and a moonroof on top of the FOX shocks, TRD springs, black wheels, and special trim. All Tacomas, including the TRD grades, also gained dual USB inputs for 2019.
Pricing and Availability
In the United States, the TRD Sport started at $32,545 and the TRD Off-Road at $33,800. The standalone TRD Pro Double Cab started at roughly $42,690 before the destination fee. In Canada, a Double Cab V6 TRD Off-Road with the TRD Pro package was priced at $56,435, and a TRD Sport with the TRD Pro package at $52,870. All TRD grades were four-wheel drive.
TRD trucks also retained the 80-liter fuel tank and the roughly 9.4-inch ground clearance of other four-wheel-drive Tacomas, and every V6 model kept the same towing and payload ratings. The 2019 changes were mostly cosmetic and equipment-related, so a TRD truck from 2019 performs much like later third-generation TRD models.
Buying a TRD Tacoma Today
Because the third generation ran through 2023, TRD trucks from 2019 are mechanically similar to later years of the same generation. Off-road buyers drove much of the Tacoma’s popularity, and Toyota sold 248,810 Tacomas in the United States in 2019 with TRD grades forming a large part of the mix. Buyers should check which TRD grade a truck actually is, Sport, Off-Road, or Pro, since equipment and resale value differ significantly, and verify whether the TRD Pro package was added to a Sport or Off-Road base. Related coverage: our 2019 Toyota Tacoma Price, Redesign, and Review and our 2019 Toyota Tacoma New Engine Review.
For more Toyota model guides and reviews, see the Toyota Review homepage.
