By Leon Britain
Toyota added a new shade to its TRD Pro lineup for the 2026 models, including Tundra, Tacoma, and 4Runner, and this one veers toward deep Caribbean seas instead of desert dust. Wave Maker, a lively blue that leans more turquoise, is meant to signal a unique, vibrational intent compared with the organic tones Toyota has used in recent years.
Wave Maker Foundation
I received seat time in our media loaner this past week, which has the Tundra TRD Pro wearing the exclusive hue; my publisher’s wife took one look and started calling the pickup Malibu. The nickname stuck for the rest of the weekly drive, and truly it fits. There’s something about that blue that appears more coastal than off-road, even donning a truck built for just the opposite. Many people loved it, and some didn’t.
Toyota’s CALTY Design team developed the pigment, and the studio’s general manager in Ann Arbor, Benjamin Jimenez, framed it as a departure from the brand’s recent playbook. Wave Maker is the eleventh color in the TRD Pro tradition, a run that started in 2015 with Inferno and has become one of the more anticipated parts of each model year for Toyota’s off-road lineup. The tint is available across the 2026 TRD Pro range: 4Runner, Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia. Those models are at dealers now.
“We had a few years of warm natural hues inspired by traditional landscapes like Terra and Mudbath as signature colors,” Jimenez said. “With Wave Maker, we were inspired by unexplored areas of adventure, including extreme territory and even beyond Earth. Wave Maker expresses an elemental spirit that evokes images of glacial depths and the thrill of new frontiers.”
A Bigger Shift Toward Bolder Paint
Wave Maker also fits into a wider trend across the truck and SUV market. For years, subdued grays, whites, and browns dominated dealer lots, largely because they hold resale value and appeal to the broadest range of utility buyers. Yet, change has taken precedence. Ford, for example, went with bright options like Cyber Orange and Vapor Blue on the Bronco. Jeep has done the same with Wrangler shades such as Hydro Blue and Nacho. Even full-size trucks, traditionally conservative when it comes to color, are seeing more interest in paint that stands out in parking lots.
Part of that shift occurs from how those vehicles are used and marketed. Off-road trucks and SUVs are sold on adventure and identity as much as capability, and a distinctive color does some of that portrayal on its own before a buyer ever gets behind the wheel. Wave Maker fits that pattern, trading Toyota’s recent earth-tone streak for something closer to open bodies of water.
A New Hue Coming for 2027
But Toyota isn’t stopping at Wave Maker. The TRD Pro palette expands again for 2027 with a new color called Honeycomb, arriving on Tundra, Sequoia and Tacoma, along with a related shade, Hot Honey, reserved for the 4Runner. Both are built to grab attention on and off the trail, giving those models an animated presence that suits their off-road demeanor. The 2027 update isn’t just cosmetic either. Tundra and Sequoia TRD Pro models are receiving newly designed, vehicle-specific FOX enhanced QS3 shocks tuned to improve feel, stability, and adjustability over rough terrain. Standard red tow hooks add a functional, rugged accent up front, and available ISO-dynamic seats are designed to help keep drivers comfortable and stable on rough ground in the Tundra and Tacoma.
Tundra Mechanicals and Performance
On the road, my Tundra was powered by Toyota’s i-FORCE MAX, a twin-turbo V6 hybrid paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. It felt smooth and far from the coarse ride of traditional V8 gas engines. Combined output lands at 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. Drive Mode Select includes Tow/Haul modes, Multi-Terrain Select, and Crawl Control, and the part-time 4WD system uses an electronically controlled transfer case with an electronic locking rear differential. When I needed to drive sporty, then manual mode became my friend. The TRD Pro suspension duty falls under FOX shocks tuned for the adventurous environments this truck is built to handle.
Safety systems feature Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 with pre-collision detection, a Multi-Terrain Monitor, and Trailer Backup Guide with Straight Path Assist to remove the guesswork of reversing with a trailer hitched up.
Exterior and Interior Boldness
The Tundra rides on black 18-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels and Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, a serious upgrade over a standard cast wheel. The bed is made from aluminum-reinforced composite and includes a 120V/400W AC power outlet and LED bed lighting. The power opening and closing tailgate is cool but doesn’t close as quickly as I’d prefer. I’m used to slamming the gate shut. Up front, auto-leveling LED headlights with LED daytime running lights pair with a big, growling black grille that houses an LED light bar, and a TRD aluminum skid plate protects the underside. The body is outlined in stylized black vinyl wheel arch shields, black door handles, and black tailgate liner.
Inside, the 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, backed by a decent 12-speaker JBL audio system with a subwoofer and amplifier. The front seats are TRD Pro SofTex-trimmed with red stitching and 8-way power adjustable with power lumbar. A power tilt and sliding panoramic roof opens up the cabin from overhead. I’m also fond of the actual hand lever for shifting, as opposed to pushbuttons or tabs that other manufacturers have gone with. A red TRD starter button is your icing on the cake.
Pricing and MPG
Base MSRP on this 2026 Tundra TRD Pro starts at $72,565. My particular build adds Wave Maker paint for $695 and the TRD Performance Package runs $2,999, bundling dual air intake boxes, a premium fuel sticker, a TRD cat-back exhaust, and a TRD performance badge. Rock rails will cost another $625. The total comes to $79,517 including the $2,095 delivery, processing, and handling fee. MPG for the Tundra is 19 mpg combined, 18 city and 20 highway.
