Flip proper right here after which be happy to stand up to 50 mph. That’s what Toyota Senior Engineering Supervisor Jakin Wilson stated to me as I pilot a Tacoma Trailhunter by means of a lumpy grime path, replete with sudden peaks and troughs, terrain adjustments, and sweeping bends.
I gleefully rocketed as much as 55 mph, maxed out the suspension journey, and labored the Outdated Man Emu shocks. Undeterred, Wilson smiled with approval. This occurred, by the way in which, after I descended down a 20-degree river rock hill and earlier than crawling round a patchwork of rock and roots on a winding two-track path.
All the above made up however one part of a large proving grounds exterior of Whittmann, Arizona, about 90 minutes from Phoenix and seemingly in the midst of nowhere. Toyota just lately accomplished a transform of the power and expanded the off-road take a look at areas within the course of. That’s along with a brand new 5.5-mile oval monitor, resurfaced experience and dealing with loops, and a brand new pass-by noise space.
Contemplating my very own engineering expertise, I gleefully accepted an invite to spend the day at Toyota’s latest playground and jumped on a westbound airplane towards Phoenix. What does this up to date proving grounds say about Toyota’s path for the long run? Time to search out out.
In Brief: Toyota Arizona Proving Grounds
Toyota showcased its enlargement of hydrogen gasoline cell tech and the way it continues to spend money on U.S. improvement of latest merchandise. Whereas the Toyota Arizona Proving Grounds (TAPG) facility proved effectively outfitted to deal with all the product line, with a number of vital on-road loops. The off-road portion proved essentially the most entertaining.
Based mostly on what I noticed, I’m fairly assured to say that Toyota off-road and overlanding will stay a really sturdy portion of the corporate’s lineup. Look no additional than extra Woodland, Trailhunter, and TRD-labeled fashions coming into the fold.
- Location: Close to Whittmann, Ariz.
- Measurement: 11,650 acres (approx. 18.2 sq. miles)
- Amenities: Car dynamics space, highway and dealing with course, 5.5-mile oval, pass-by noise loop, coast down loop, experience surfaces, steep incline and decline slopes, a number of off-road trails, and way more
- Paved take a look at surfaces: 77 miles
- Off-road and grime tracks: Greater than 50 miles
- Funding: Greater than $50 million
Execs
- Effectively-isolated facility with loads of area
- Good number of off-road trails
- Open to different corporations to hire and use the grounds
- Open year-round
Cons
- An hour from the outskirts of the closest massive metropolis
- 120-degree climate in the summertime
- Just about zero pure shade
Flinging Mud
Toyota showcased a number of totally different paved surfaces throughout its up to date facility, however — clearly — I noticed essentially the most pleasure emanate from the off-road engineers and the over 50 miles of trails, paths, hills, and obstacles at their disposal. To expertise a style, I acquired behind the wheel of a Tacoma TRD Off-Highway after which a Tacoma TRD Professional, to ascend a mud hill, solely to then descend a hill of jagged, uneven rocks.
Each the Off-Highway and the Professional achieved the duty of driving down the uneven, suspension-stretching floor. And each used CRAWL management know-how to take care of an excellent pace with out my toes having to intervene on both pedal.
However the Professional dealt with the duty sooner and with much less drama courtesy of iso-dynamic seats, which take up a number of the power, which might in any other case jostle the motive force. I appreciated feeling the advantages of those seats. On the highway, they really feel the identical as regular seats and sap second-row foot room within the course of.
The true deal with concerned bombing round within the Tacoma Trailhunter over just a few miles of rugged terrain enveloped by TAPG property line fences. Protecting 5 or so miles, engineers had me traverse over tree roots and bathtub-sized divots, solely to then hit the gasoline and certain over sharp undulations on a wider grime path, working all the Trailhunter’s suspension journey and the Outdated Man Emu shocks.
Whereas this explicit path stayed pretty flat, I noticed a number of steep hills of all types of surfaces all through the grounds. What I skilled was however an amuse-bouche of what the engineers utilized to tune all the assorted off-road variants of Tacomas, to not point out 4Runners, Land Cruisers, Tundras, Sequoias, and extra.
The Return of Scion?
Making its debut at SEMA, Toyota introduced its Scion 01 side-by-side idea to Arizona to stretch its legs a bit. Whereas there, I acquired an opportunity to talk with the Vice President of Car Efficiency Growth, Don Federico. In that dialog, I discovered plenty of new particulars about this off-roading toy.
I requested him what makes this idea tick. Federico, happy to talk, dove proper in. “We’re going to begin with the thrilling stuff, what’s pushing it. The massive story right here is, numerous off-the-shelf components,” he stated. “We appeared in the back of the Scion 01. We’re wanting on the powertrain; that’s a 2.4L turbo hybrid that comes out of our Tacoma.”
That’s the upper of two powertrains supplied in Toyota’s midsize truck, making a wholesome 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. It additionally makes use of the identical eight-speed computerized transmission and battery pack.
The truth is, as a result of the Scion 01 weighs significantly lower than a Tacoma, it should drive “just a few miles” on electrical energy alone, based on Federico. Toyota calls it silent mode.
Distinctly not off-the-shelf, Fox shocks are mounted on a custom-built rectangular and tubular body that gives 17 inches of floor clearance and a full 26 inches of suspension journey. “And there’s no trickery right here,” Federico stated. “That’s a full 26 inches, no tire squish; you get that full stroke on there.” Hanging out method within the corners, a set of 35-inch Maxxis Carnivore tires.
Again to plucking from the components bin, the Scion 01 makes use of Camry brakes, GR Yaris calipers, Highlander hubs, Corolla energy steering, and extra. Inside, the idea makes use of a Tacoma shifter, mode selector, and a number of other bits for switchgear and the like.
The in-house body additionally features a sturdy rollcage to guard as much as 4 passengers (two passengers for every of the 2 rows) that’s totally welded and each SCORE- and FIA-compliant. For good measure, the inside additionally contains four-point harnesses and race-style seats, as much as 1,500 W of accessible A/C energy, and reverse-opening doorways to hop in. The Scion appears cool, comfy, and very succesful. Toyota, please construct this!
Towing-Pleasant Driving Help Tech
Debuting on the sixth-generation 2026 Toyota RAV4 is the Toyota Security System 4.0 or TSS 4.0 driving assist system. It makes use of cameras and RADAR with a wider discipline of view. It additionally has new software program and {hardware} to make the system extra user-friendly, particularly whereas towing a trailer. And far of the work to develop it occurred proper within the U.S., right here in Arizona.
To start out, TSS 4.0 now mechanically detects a mounted trailer and disables the rear SONAR system to keep away from fixed beeps and different nuances. But the entrance SONAR stays on and working that will help you out. That alone is a win. Moreover, 4.0 will even proceed to function lane-trace help, its lane centering know-how, whereas towing. And the system even accounts for trailer sway. Useful.
After all, it’s not solely enhancements whereas towing. The digital instrument cluster will now extra particularly present you what the automobile detects on the highway round it. If it sees a pedestrian, bicyclist, automotive, or semi-truck, that’s what the display screen will show.
We get usually extra intuitive graphics and simplified instructions, too. For instance, you not have to carry the flip sign stalk down for 3 seconds for an computerized lane change; only a fast faucet initiates the command.
Hydrogen Energy
On the grounds, a 100-foot by 50-foot tent construction functioned as the house base for the day. Beneath and subsequent to them, Toyota put in a big PA system, lights, screens, and a number of other different components to maintain people comfy for the day. And a Tundra powered all of it. Effectively, a hydrogen gasoline cell and battery pack within the truck’s mattress did.
Utilizing a number of exterior high-pressure hydrogen tanks, a gasoline cell stack outputted over 600 V and 13.9 kW of energy. This equipped DC electrical energy to inverters and on all of the aforementioned wants, in addition to a 28kWh battery pack, which helped preserve the movement constant.
After all, Toyota additionally sells the Mirai, its fuel-cell automotive. However we additionally acquired to see — and experience alongside in — a gasoline cell class 8 semi-truck. Toyota powered that truck with a gasoline cell stack, which generates 170 kW. The stack will get its power from six hydrogen tanks situated the place you’d count on a sleeper cab. To make it a hybrid, the truck additionally housed a 220kWh battery pack on the body the place you’d count on the diesel tanks.
That power supply mixture powers two electrical motors that output a decent 416 horsepower (310 kW) and a mighty 1,475 pound-feet (2,000 nm) of torque. Furthermore, Toyota claims its class 8 will tow 40 tons over 400 miles between fill-ups. And, these fill-ups will take lower than 10 minutes. By the way in which, it’s a hybrid, not a plug-in hybrid. The battery pack solely will get charged by harnessing power underneath braking and steady-state driving from the stack.
It’s additionally a lot quieter, smoother, and simpler to stay with. Oh, and did I point out faster? I noticed this truck on TAPG’s large automobile dynamics pad, the place I sat within the passenger seat because it drag-raced and simply beat a diesel-powered equal truck — each of them hauling 40 tons on the time. It felt remarkably drama-free contemplating that effectively over 160,000 kilos went wheel-to-wheel.
Toyota Arizona Proving Grounds: Abstract
After all, TAPG additionally contains 77 miles of paved roads. That features a 5.5-mile oval, a experience and dealing with loop, and a slew of different drive loops and amenities to reliably and repeatedly take a look at methods to make autos higher.
After spending the day right here on the renovated grounds that first opened in 1993, I concluded two issues. First, Toyota sees the USA as way more than an vital area to promote autos, but additionally one to design, engineer, and construct them.
Two, off-road functionality, selection, and variety, will proceed to see plenty of the model’s focus. Regardless of the place and the way you propose to go open air, if you happen to do it in a Toyota, chances are high engineers examined it at TAPG.
