Four Wheel Magazine’s Project Toyota 4Runner Backcountry bows at SEMA

Do you consider yourself an avid off-road enthusiast, who hangs out more in the wilderness than in the urban jungle? Then Four Wheel Magazine's Project Toyota 4Runner Backcountry might be the vehicle for you. This special 4Runner concept is part of Toyota's 2010 SEMA line-up and is said to have been built as a "self-contained exploration rig."

There's no eye-catching livery here, but a plain white finish. Chances are that only real off-road connoisseurs will know that something's up with this car. And they're right.

The stock suspension has been replaced by heavy-duty Old Manu Emu (OME) parts. New springs and shock absorbers are used, in conjunction with a 2.5 inch lift, making it more capable in rough terrain.

The builders didn't stop there, as Falken Wildpeak A/T tires (P285/70 R17), wrapped around Teflon-coated ATX Mojave wheels, give this bad boy another half an inch of ride height.

Complete with EVO Manufacturing rock sliders, the Backcountry is 3-inches taller than its mundane sibling.

But ground clearance is nothing without efficient power distribution. This is where the ARB front Air Locker shines and, if the going gets real tough, there's also a Warn XD9000 winch, mounted on an ARB Deluxe Bull Bar. You can also rely on two additional HID (High-Intensity Discharge) driving lights to navigate in low light conditions.

Pretty awesome stuff, that promise -at least on paper- to get you to your destination. Once there, your life will be made easier by the rooftop tent, roof rack mounted lights and a 13-gallon water tank, with a hose attached to it.

A complete array of communication and navigational instruments have been integrated into the cabin, most of them using the factory switch blanks, so there's no clutter or lost space.

So, open that ARB fridge and have a beer. An off-roader's life seldom gets any better than this.

By Csaba Daradics

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Four Wheeler Toyota 4Runner Backcountry Features

• Manu Emu (OME) suspension system

• OME NitroCharger Sport shock absorbers

• P285/70R17 Falken WildPeak A/T tires

• 17x8 Teflon-coated ATX Mojave wheels

• ARB front Air Locker

• Warn XD9000 winch

• ARB Deluxe Bull Bar front bumper

• Two 6x9 KC HiLiTES HID driving lights

• four KC HiLiTES 5x7 front facing and two 2x6 rear facing lights

• ARB Steel Touring Style Roof Rack

• ARB Series III Simpson Rooftop Tent and ARB Awning 2000

• EVO Manufacturing rear tire and Expedition One Geri fuel can carrier

• EVO Manufacturing rock sliders

• 13-gallon water tank with12V inline electric pump

• Cobra CB radio

• Garmin GPS

• Rear cargo-mounted Power Tank on-board air system

• ARB Fridge Freeze

Toyota Releases Pricing on New 4Runner SUV as well as on 2010MY Cars Including the Prius and Venza

Just one day after the presentation of the all-new 2010 4Runner, Toyota released pricing on its truck-based SUV model as well as on four more 2010 model year vehicles including the Land Cruiser, Venza, Prius and Tacoma pickup truck. MSRPs for the new 4Runner (including an $800 destination fee) range from $28,300 for the two-wheel drive SR5 grade with a 157HP 2.7-liter four pot to $40,600 for the Limited grade 4x4 with a 270HP 4.0-liter V6. Toyota said that the V6 4Runners will begin arriving at dealerships in late October or early November, while the 4-cylinder SR-5 will go on sale in early January 2010.

As for the rest of the range, the 2010MY Venza crossover-thingamajig, which will begin arriving at dealerships in early November, carries a base MSRP (including a $750 destination charge) that ranges from $27,025 for the four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive model to $29,550 for the all-wheel-drive V6. That comes to an increase of $300, or an average of 1.1 percent over the 2009MY cars.

For 2010, the Venza adds a USB port for iPod connectivity, hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth wireless technology as standard equipment on all audio systems.

Expected to arrive at Toyota dealerships in late October, the 2010 Land Cruiser will start from $66,770 (including destination fees), an increase of $1,215, or 1.9 percent over the 2009MY. Changes for the 2010MY include an upgraded audio system that adds a standard USB port for iPod connectivity, Bluetooth wireless technology, grey factory privacy glass tint to the rear hatch and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

While the 2010MY doesn't bring any upgrades for the Tacoma pickup truck, Toyota has announced a price adjustment increase of $175, or an average of 0.8 percent effective on November 2, 2009. MSRP's (including destination charges) range from $16,145 for the Regular Cab four-cylinder 4x2 with a five-speed manual transmission to $28,050 for the Double Cab long bed 4x4 V6 with a five-speed automatic.

Finally, Toyota has increased the base MSRP on the 2010 Prius II, III, IV and IV models that will begin arriving in late October by $400, or an average of 1.6 percent. Prices, again including destination fees, range from $23,150 for the Prius I model to $28,420 for the range-topping Prius V.

Toyota said that pricing for the Prius I model, which will be made available in limited numbers to fleet buyers, will remain unchanged at $21,750.

2010 Toyota 4Runner Revealed, Offered with 4-Cylinder and V6 Engines, New Rugged Trail Model

Exactly twenty-five years, four generations and little over 1.5 million sales after the debut of the first 4Runner in 1984, Toyota today launched the fifth-generation model of its mid-sized truck-based SUV. Sharing the same the same platform with the FJ Cruiser, the completely redesigned 2010 4Runner continues to use body-on-frame construction. According to Toyota's own words, the new 4Runner is "more rugged than the Highlander and more versatile than the FJ Cruiser".

Taller, wider and longer than its predecessor, the 2010 4Runner offers an optional third-row of seats and is available in three different trim grades starting off with the SR5, the more luxurious and better equipped Limited, and a more "off-roadish" version called Trail.

The latter comes with a higher ground clearance and a Multi-Terrain Select system that allows the driver to select from four different modes, depending on the type of terrain. Toyota's Crawl Control (CRAWL) feature, which comes with five different speed settings and prevents the vehicle from rolling down too fast by regulating engine speed and output along with braking force, is also standard on the Trail grade model.

The Trail is distinguished on the outside by the black outer mirrors, front and rear bumper guards, dark smoke treatment on the head and tail lamps and the bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels as well as the specific hood scoop.

The 2010 4Runner is offered in rear-wheel drive 4x2 and part time 4x4 configurations as well as a full-time multi-mode 4x4 with a locking center differential (standard on the Trail model).

All 4x4 models are powered by a new and more powerful 4.0-liter V6 engine with 270HP and 278 lb-ft of torque, that is coupled to a five-speed ECT-i automatic transmission returning an EPA-estimated 17mpg city and 22mpg highway.

With the 4x2 system, the 4.0 V6's mileage is slightly better at 17mpg city and 23mpg highway.

For 2010 there's also a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers an output of 157 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, and is combined with a four-speed automatic (we assume that a cassette-player is also standard...) returning 18 city/23 highway mpg. The four-pot is available only with the 4x2 system on the SR5 model.

2010 Toyota 4Runner at Rubicon (check out the damage on the fenders)

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2010 Toyota 4Runner Trial

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2010 Toyota 4Runner Limited

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2010 Toyota 4Runner SR5