How's This Work? Desert Air Intake

How does Desert Air Intake work?

We mentioned in our coverage of the all-new 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro that the most exciting new feature in the pickup truck was its TRD Desert Air Intake. We didn't get to explain it very well though, so we thought it'd be the perfect subject for this month's How's This Work. We told you that it runs from the hood to the roof, and will be a great addition for off-road enthusiasts, but what exactly does it do? How does it work?

What does Desert Air Intake do?

A typical vehicle's air intake is located in one of its wheel wells. This works just fine for those vehicles, otherwise they probably wouldn't put it there. But for vehicles that will be spending a lot of time on less-traveled roads, or rather, less-roady roads, this can become an issue. If you're traveling on a lot of sand, dust, dirt, or other debris, these things can be kicked up into the engine bay through the air intake, possibly leading to damage or, at the very least, much more wear and tear than usual.

The point of Toyota's TRD Desert Air Intake is to avoid this issue altogether. Rather than the air intake coming through the wheel wells, it now comes from the clean air above the truck. This will not only enhance the truck's performance, but it will increase the truck's longevity as well as the longevity of many pieces beneath the hood of the truck. Filters, to name an obvious one.

As long as you're comfortable with the aesthetic differences that this Desert Air Intake introduces into the 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, then it would be an excellent option to opt for it. If you don't want it, however, you can choose not to have it on the truck. Any questions? Give us a call here at the sales desk!