Fast Lines and Trail Signs

Fast trucks, slow trails, nearly 160 miles of dirt, and a first look at the 2027 Tundra and Sequoia Trailhunter.

In mid-August, the XOVERLAND crew headed to Grand Junction, Colorado, for Toyota’s Fast Lines and Trail Signs, an event built around both sides of Toyota’s off-road lineup. The fast lines came first: a trophy-style desert course with the Book Cliffs in view, full of berms, drift sections, and jumps for the TRD Pro Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra, and Sequoia. The trail signs came next, an overland drive through western Colorado and Utah in the Trailhunters, including the brand-new 2027 Tundra and Sequoia Trailhunter.

A dark gray Toyota Sequoia SUV and a light gray Toyota Tundra pickup truck parked on a desert ridge.

What’s New

Unlike the Tacoma and 4Runner, where Trailhunter is its own trim, on the Tundra and Sequoia it’s a package on the SR5 grade. The Tundra Trailhunter gets Old Man Emu monotube shocks with 2-inch shock bodies and 46 mm pistons, paired with the same springs as the SR5 (so no added ride height). It also gets a locking rear differential, 33-inch Michelin LTX Trail tires on bronze wheels, aluminum skid plates, front recovery hooks, plus RIGID fog lights tucked into a new hexagon-pattern grille. The Sequoia Trailhunter gets the same suspension treatment and interior upgrades.

Under the hood, the Tundra comes standard with the i-FORCE twin-turbo V6 (389 hp and 479 lb-ft), with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid available. The Sequoia gets the hybrid as standard, good for 437 hp and 583 lb-ft. Every 2027 Tundra and Sequoia also gets a 14-inch touchscreen (goodbye, 8-inch), Toyota Safety Sense 4.0, and a built-in drive recorder.

On the Trail

One day alone covered almost 160 miles of trail, which is a big day out by any standard. We were constantly on the move, mixing fast dirt roads with slower, rockier sections, so everyone got seat time in every Trailhunter in the lineup. The OLT4x4 team led the way and sprinkled in some local lore as we went (ask them about the Pangean woodpecker). The real highlight was a cave holding an ancestral Puebloan handprint, verified to be thousands of years old.

Around Camp

The best part of any trail trip is the people you get to hang out with long after the ignition is off. We camped above 9,000 feet, with big mountain views. Karissa and Linhbergh of gondirtin handled the cooking and turned out one seriously good meal after another. If you’ve never eaten their camp food, it’s worth tagging along on a trip just for that.

The Takeaway

The new Trailhunter package makes the Tundra and Sequoia a good starting point for an overland rig. It’s great to have these upgrades come from the factory, all under one payment and one warranty. We’re excited to start seeing them out on the road.