Toyota Bringing TRD Badge to Passenger Cars Like Camry Soon

If you’ve been craving a Toyota with more performance, today is a good day for you.

One of the tidbits of news still trickling out from the auto show in Detroit last month is that Toyota is considering expanding the TRD lineup. Right now the Toyota Racing Development editions apply solely to our trucks.

However, TRD has a lot of cachet among Toyota buyers for power and even some more luxurious and high-end touches. Toyota sees this specialty badge as a way to connect with younger buyers, ones that would think Toyota fine for reliability and safety, but perhaps look elsewhere if they wanted something with more punch.

Toyota Division’s general manager said that the Camry is first on the list for this TRD expansion, which makes sense given the “Bold” campaign in the past few months. Coupled with what we’ve already heard about a push for more aggressive exterior designs, it would seem that Toyota is looking to add more energy and vitality to its models.

Globally, Toyota is the largest producer of cars in the world. It is also enjoying healthy profits. The challenge for any leader is what to do next. With its 2014 rejection of electric vehicles and Tesla, Toyota is clearly trying to make the most aggressive moves it can to break new ground and push itself out of its comfort zone.

Still, a lot will be riding on the success of the TRD Camry. Although an end-of-year appearance is possible, it’s more likely to see this variant debut in 2016. Depending on its reception, we would expect the Corolla to receive the TRD treatment next, and somewhere down the line even the Sienna, which would be…special.

In the meantime, that bold Camry redesign we mentioned is actually present right now here in Raleigh. Check out our test drive review for a first impression, then schedule a test drive to form your own thoughts.