2010 Toyota 4Runner: New one rough and refined

More off-road features give Toyota's 4x4 extra punch while interior upgrades add some style

Nov 28, 2009

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Special to the Star

Huntsville–Mention Toyota in Canada, and buyers are most likely tothink of cars. It's easy to forget that in many parts of the world Toyota primarily means trucks – specifically, ultra-tough 4x4s for desert trails or jungle muck.

Our version is the 4Runner, a model that's redesigned into its fifth generation for 2010, and which Toyota introduced this week via a Muskoka off-road course that was nasty enough on its own before being treated to a day's downpour.

These events are always designed to show the vehicle in the best possible light, and so naturally the 4Runner would get through. What did impress were several new features for off-road work, along with a comfortable ride once the tires were back on pavement.

This newest model starts at $36,800, the same as in 2009. There are four packages that can be added to it, but their prices remain secret until the truck goes on sale in December. From the base SR5 model, 4Runner can be outfitted with an Upgrade package including leather seats and backup camera, a Trail Edition with off-road specifics, or a Limited package that can be further jazzed up to Limited with Navigation.

Although many SUVs use unibody construction for a more car-like ride, 4Runner remains a body bolted to a fully boxed frame, in this case borrowed from the Tacoma pickup and FJ Cruiser. This gives it off-road strength, along with a towing capacity of 2,268 kg.

Unusually for a makeover, the 2010 version is almost the same size as its predecessor – overall length and width increase by a mere 15 mm, while the front and rear tracks are 30 mm wider for better stability – and the available 4.7 L V8 offered in 2009 is gone. Instead, the sole engine choice is a 4.0 L V6.

That was the base engine in the last generation, but thanks to improvements including variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust, the new engine has more horsepower than the V8 it replaces, and uses less fuel than the old V6. The sole transmission choice is a five-speed automatic.

That fuel consumption – 12.6 L/100 km (22 m.p.g.) in the city, and 9.2 (31) on the highway – undercuts all of its body-on-frame competitors, while only the considerably less powerful five-cylinder Hummer H3 and V6-equipped Grand Cherokee come in with a lower starting price.

While it's my guess that the highest 4Runner trim levels will rattle around the $50,000 mark – and Toyota forecasts that 35 per cent of buyers will take the Limited with Navigation – it's tough to top the combination of price and fuel at the lower end of the scale.

The SR5, Upgrade and Trail Edition use a part-time 4WD system, operated by a lever on the console that switches from rear- to four-wheel; the Limited grades use a full-time 4WD system that can be further dialed into two low ranges for tough terrain.

In keeping with its more likely role as a city commuter, it's also equipped with a third row of seats that's a bit roomier than many, but a very tight squeeze for adults to access.

While the Limited includes a nifty diagonally linked shock absorber system, it's the Trail Edition's technology that really impresses. One switch on the header panel activates the Multi-Terrain System, which sets traction control and throttle response to a variety of settings, including grass, mud or sand, and is similar to that used on the Land Rover.

A second dial activates Crawl Control: set it to one of five speeds up to 8 km/h, and it acts like cruise control on the trail, controlling the throttle and brakes both uphill and downhill, and requiring nothing more of the driver than steering. Experienced off-roaders will sneer at such a thing, but it's pretty handy for those who haven't mastered the precise combination of gas and brake to get through the rough stuff.

The Trail Edition also includes a locking rear differential, and a sway bar system called Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, or KDSS. This disconnects the front and rear stabilizer bars for extra wheel travel when needed, but unlike most other electronic systems, which the driver operates via a switch, KDSS automatically locks or unlocks the bars depending on how much articulation is needed, without driver intervention. It all worked together to get the 4Runner up steep rock faces and through mud, despite wearing only asphalt-rated tires.

All of this is packaged in a truck that looks more handsomely rugged than its predecessor, but with a sophisticated interior, easy-to-use controls, tons of small storage space, and a huge amount of legroom both front and rear.

Despite its robust construction, the ride is smooth; if there's any complaint, it's that the quick response to its light steering can feel twitchy, and the brakes are grabby.

More than 100,000 4Runners have found homes in Canada since its introduction in 2003 and, to Toyota's credit, it has never dumbed down the model's considerable ability. It isn't for everyone, and those who don't need its off-road ability should look at the less expensive, car-based Highlander instead.

The 4Runner may look like it's more at home on city streets, but it's the real deal where the pavement ends.

Toronto Star