2024 Toyota Tundra Pro i-force Max Twin-Turbo V6 Hybrid is a life-size Tonka Truck for a small business owner with a modern family in tow. Fully loaded and well-equipped at a price point of $72,730, it’s a bang for your buck.
Outside the cabin, it’s one of the most attractive animals on the road that’s ready to kill the asphalt. 18-in BBS forged wheels, skid plates, auto-leveling LED headlamps + LED DRLs, aluminum composite bed, TOYOTA grille along with light bar, it’s a tenacious toy that literally smiles back at you. Terra/Black skin gracefully glistens on any terrain and under any conditions. It’s the perfect palette to reduce visible grime and dirt with grit.
Inside the cockpit, the truck is an automation oasis. 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, as big as most tablets, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Toyota multimedia with a 3-month SiriusXM radio trial. You’ll enjoy every second of channel 42 as it pushes out high fidelity sound. The premium JBL audio system boasts a 12-speaker system with subwoofer as well as am amplifier. And, baby got back! With loads of legroom, USB ports, 120V/400W outlet, and ample seating for five. To make the interior feel even more spacious are the small A-pillars, massive power moonroof, which tilts and opens, and the power rear window. The FR-passenger seat comes with 8-way power control seats. Super comfortable for a road trip to Vegas or simply picking the kids up from soccer practice. With all windows flush, it feels like a safari at Krugersdorp Game Reserve in South Africa. Our baby model in the back, Swedish/Blatino West Sovinsky, had the time of his life while safely strapped in his car seat.
This vehicle is clearly in a class of its own with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+. It’s virtually impossible to scrape the wheels at an El Pollo Loco, run over a wild coyote, or even feel out of control with adaptive steering and braking. It’s a true truck that you can track on tarmac, off-road at the Santa Monica Mountains or pimp and play at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. It’s the most baffling beast wherever you take it–regardless of all heads that will turn. The Hybrid Twin-Turbo V6 power plant is seamless, and you hear the car whine as it continues on the gas transmission. The only beat that will skip is your heart as it’s the most handsome stock on steroids. No other truck has a much swag as this one yet crawls almost like a Jeep Wrangler on 4WD on low. It’s can do things a Trackhawk dreams of doing due to ride height. Yes, it’s guzzles down a pint like a crowd at gay pride, but it’s no cissy. In fact, the exhaust notes sing like Whitney.
‘There’s a reason why Toyota was one of the first cars I leased straight out of college because it holds it value, looks good in any lipstick, and is dependable.’ — says Lowery.
If you’re not excited about its city slicker demeanor, it will break your back on any mountain with its agility, ability to tow and carry cargo like it’s non existing competitors. All you need to do is purchase this vehicle as is and press the start button, and you’ll be catapulted into a universe of respect within the realm of car culture. It was an outer body experience to lay eyes on it in Hawaii with hibiscus flowers all around and an even more therapeutic environment to indulge in the beautiful California State with the wind combing through my curls.
It’s another win for Toyota reintroducing this vehicle, possessing a powerful hybrid V6 powertrain instead of a clunky V8. 360 is sure Jay Leno has one, and if not soon, he will have one in his garage. Praises to the design team for paying attention to the details: camo tech black leatherette seats and wheel fenders. But the icing on the cake is signature TOYOTA 3D insignia on the dash. The entire vehicle is best described as YUMMY.
Photos + Story | Vaughn Lowery
