Toyota working on Ford F-150 Raptor rival

The Toyota Tundra pick-up sold in the US could spawn a high-performance rival to the Ford F-150 Raptor – packing a heavy hybrid powertrain punch.

Toyota USA is working on a competitor to the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram TR-X, according to a report out of North America overnight.

Although a high-performance version of the Toyota Tundra is yet to be confirmed, a test vehicle is reportedly undergoing testing according to a “tipster with inside knowledge,” wrote US website TheDrive.

The top-secret Toyota Tundra high-performance off-road edition is said to take inspiration from the Toyota Tundra TRD Desert Chase concept (pictured above and below), which was revealed at the 2021 SEMA automotive expo.

The concept uses the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro as a base, but adds 37-inch tyres, a widened wheel track from custom control arms, extra protection and – of course – some high-end off-road shock absorbers.

While Toyota doesn’t have a new V8 engine at its disposal – with the long-serving 5.7-litre V8 bowing out of the latest models – the new Tundra TRD Pro develops impressive performance by combining a turbocharged V6 with electrification.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo hybrid V6, which makes a maximum combined output of 352kW and 790Nm through the 10-speed automatic transmission.

These numbers are greater than the current Ford F-150 Raptor (336Kw/691Nm), but less than the Ram TR-X’s 6.2-litre supercharged V8 (523kW/880Nm).

Ford is looking to return serve with the forthcoming F-150 Raptor R, which is widely speculated to get Ford’s supercharged 5.2-litre V8 from the Mustang Shelby GT500.

The post Toyota working on Ford F-150 Raptor rival – report appeared first on Drive.