The interior follows along with this tough but lovable theme. All the controls fall readily to hand and are simple to operate, but that doesn’t mean the vehicle is lacking in features. Far from it, in fact the new 2010 Toyota 4Runner can be ordered with just about every modern accessory available on the market today, it’s simply a matter of choosing what goodies you want.

However, as I started this story discussing off-road capabilities, I’m going to stay on that same track and tell you about a few specific features which stand out on the 4Runner Trail version.

Obviously, traction control is quite a common feature on SUV’s today, and Toyota has its own system fitted to the vehicle called, Advanced Traction Control (A-TRAC). It also boasts a brake assisted hill descent program which works in conjunction with the vehicle’s ABS, something which is becoming quite commonplace on many SUV’s today. However, we now come to the really interesting stuff, such as the Multi-Mode Terrain Selector, a clever little system which is typically only to be found on a few rather select premium SUV’s. It basically works like this...You simply select the type of terrain on which you plan to travel, be it wet grassy slopes, or possibly hard rock rugged trails, and the computerized system completely takes care of everything for you. It utilizes the various systems onboard, such as the traction control etc, and couples all the available resources in order to perform at its utmost capabilities. In some ways, it’s like having an off-road instructor sitting next to you working the controls.

We then come to one of my favorite features, which is Toyota’s new Crawl Control. You see, having spent many hours behind the wheel on numerous trails throughout North America, I know that off-road driving can often become somewhat tiring. Trying to maintain lower speeds means keeping one’s throttle foot in the same position for extended periods of time. After several hours on the trail, your right foot can sometimes go numb, or possibly a better description, fall asleep. Obviously then, you don’t have the same control over the vehicle. However, Toyota’s new Crawl Control system alleviates this entirely. With a simple turn of a dial, the speed of the vehicle is electronically governed. In fact, once engaged, you can remove your foot from the pedals entirely, although for safety’s sake, a quick dab of the accelerator or the brake pedal will immediately override this.

Need to quicken the pace slightly? No problem, another twist of the dial increases the vehicle’s speed in 1mph increments. Think of it as a form of off-road cruise control. I tested this out recently and it works great. It is also something which I have yet to see on another SUV, and that includes some of the much more expensive models.

Another great feature available on the 2010 4Runner is its amazing Electronic Sway-Bar De-coupler. Basically, sway-bars are fitted to vehicles to help reduce body-roll in corners whilst on the road. However, once off-road, they can somewhat limit wheel travel, meaning that your wheels are unable to flex enough to really dig down into the potholes and do their job properly. By releasing the sway-bars and allowing the wheels to travel to their fullest extent, you greatly add to the off-road capabilities of the vehicle. Now I’ve seen similar ideas on some other vehicles, and there are even companies which sell aftermarket kits for this, but an electrically operated system is a real rarity. Most require you to crawl underneath the vehicle and manually disconnect the bars. Wonderful, if you can remember to do this before hitting the trail, yet not such a clever idea once you’re knee deep in the thick brown stuff.

Of course, all of this will no doubt please the off-road enthusiasts. Well, perhaps not all, but at least the ones who aren’t still living in the dark ages. However, as most owners seldom venture off-road in their vehicles, what does it mean to them? Again, an interesting question, and I’m glad you asked. You see, even if you’ve never had the urge to venture off-pavement with your vehicle, there could well come the day when you need to, and when that day does arrive, you’ll be glad that you have all this new technology onboard. Basically, what this does is turn even the humblest of amateurs into an off-roading master. Honestly it truly does, and of course, even if you never require the capabilities of a vehicle like this, wouldn’t it be nice to know that “If you wanted to, you could”.

We now come to the question which all off-road enthusiasts are waiting with bated breath to ask, which is, how reliable will this new technology be?

Well, that’s a hard one for any journalist to answer after spending such a short time in the vehicle. That’s kind of like asking how long will my latest pair of shoes last. Nobody can truly answer that question with any degree of certainty. However, what I will say is that much of this technology has been about in some form or other for a while, perhaps only available to the well-heeled until now, but it has been out there. Now with Toyota’s reputation for reliability, and the knowledge that the 4Runner has always been an industry benchmark, I can’t foresee anyone having a problem with this modern off-roading technology. In fact, if I was in the market for an SUV right now, the 4Runner would be top of my list for sure. It’s proven itself over several years of production. It’s of decent size, known to be a tough and highly capable vehicle, and I have to say, the price as far as I’m concerned, is spot on.

Well done Toyota, the 4Runner legend lives on!