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| 2004
TOYOTA LINE-UP | |
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| TOYOTA
SUVS |
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 Sport-utility
vehicles and minivans in the collection from Toyota
for 2004 consist of truck-based and car-based
vehicles segmented under six names.
Toyota's
largest SUV is the Sequoia. It rides on the platform
of Toyota's full-size Tundra pickup and carries
four doors and three rows of seats for as many
as eight riders.
Next
in size is the mighty Land Cruiser, a full-size SUV also with three rows of seats,
a powerful V8 aboard and rugged four-wheel-drive (4WD) equipment for extreme off-road
capability. Mid-size
4Runner, revamped in 2003 on a larger truck chassis with V6 or V8 engine plus
4WD traction option, returns in 2004 with available third-row bench seat plus
a camera mounted on the back bumper that displays the vehicle's reverse view on
the dashboard screen of an optional navigation system.
Car-based Toyota SUVs include the RAV-4 compact-class
SUV riding on a car chassis borrowed from the
Celica coupe, and mid-size Highlander, offered
in front-wheel-drive (FWD) format with car-like
mechanical components or 4WD.
Highlander presents new front-end styling outside for 2004, plus upgraded four-cylinder
and V6 powertrains and a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor. RAV-4
also gets new styling inside and out, and more muscle flowing from a new four-cylinder
engine that makes more power.
Toyota's
made-in America minivan, Sienna, has been completely
redesigned for 2004. It features a stylish new
exterior built on an expanded platform with improved
ride and drive qualities, more room in the cabin
and a larger engine tucked below its curvy prow.
| | Toyota
Sequoia |
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Super-size Sequoia shares a structure with the
Tundra truck forward of the cabin's second pillars,
yet the differs in composition behind those pillars
as it's a vast space organized with three rows
of seats for as many as eight passengers plus
a cargo bay in the rear accessible through a big
liftgate. Both vehicles come out of Toyota's manufacturing
facility in Indiana.
For
power, Sequoia's 4.7-liter V8 produces 240 hp and delivers strong low-end torque
that's useful for towing a trailer rig up to 6500 pounds. An automatic four-speed
transmission mates exclusively with the V8. Either conventional rear two-wheel-drive
(2WD) or 4WD traction is on tap with two trim editions of SR5 and Limited, plus
optional gear like a DVD-based video entertainment system for backseat riders. |
| Toyota
Land Cruiser | | With its
high-hiking pose, a torque-heavy engine and 4WD traction, Toyota's Land Cruiser
is capable of crossing a rugged outback route in safety and comfort. Current
issues, tracing to a generational upgrade in 1998, provide a vast and cushy passenger
compartment that accommodates seven riders on three tiers of seats. New privacy
glass on side doors switches color from bronze to dark green on 2004 editions
and a bumper camera that displays images of the vehicle's reverse-moving view
on a dashboard video screen has been added to the optional navigation system.
For
strength, Land Cruiser totes a V8 worth 235 hp and tied to a five-speed automatic
transmission. The full-time 4WD traction mechanism has an electronic control unit
called Active TRAC that automatically transfers engine torque to wheels that maintain
the best grip. |
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| Toyota
4Runner |
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A
new rendition of Toyota's mid-size SUV showed
up in the 2003 line and repeats for 2004 with
the option of a third-tier bench seat added to
Limited and SR5 trims. Toyota started from scratch
when reinventing this sport-ute.
It's
longer and broader than the previous issue with a bigger cabin and more comfortable
accommodations, plus it carries stronger and larger powertrains and high-tech
controls like Downhill Assist Control (DAC) and Hill-Start Assist Control (HSAC)
systems. Yet the new design remains true to 4Runner's origins tracing back to
the initial version introduced in 1985: It's a truck-tough vehicle designed for
serious work on dirt or pavement.
Top version stocks the 4.7-liter V8 and full-time
4WD system found in Land Cruiser. The plant delivers
235 hp and big torque numbers. A 4.0-liter V6
is also available, pumping 245 hp as one of the
strongest six-packs for the mid-size SUV class.
A four-speed automatic transmission goes with
the V6 but a five-speed automatic works on the
V8.
Both
2WD and 4WD versions of 4Runner are offered. For the V6 a multi-mode 4WD system
with limited-slip center differential can selectively switch between 4WD and 2WD
modes. The V8's 4WD is a full-time system as used by Land Cruiser.
Side-impact
and curtain-style side air bags are optional for
any of the trims - SR5, Sport and deluxe Limited. |
| Toyota
RAV-4 |
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More power comes to the car-based compact SUV from Toyota with a new 2.4-liter
in-line-four plant that musters 161 hp. A manual five-speed gearbox is standard
but a four-speed automatic is also available. Base RAV-4 directs all engine torque
to the front wheels and functions like a FWD car.
A second edition adds an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system with electronic controls
and sensors that detect wheel spin. It operates constantly so the driver never
needs to decide when to push buttons or pull levers to engage the system. When
wheel slippage occurs, the device varies the amount of power applied to front
and rear wheels so tires maintain traction continuously.
The
vehicle for 2004 also contains more safety features, with rear disc brakes added
and standard anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution
(EBD). Curtain-style side air bags for first and second rows are now available,
along with side torso air bags for front seats.
The
cabin of RAV-4 gets a new steering wheel, redesigned instrument panel and fresh
fabrics covering seats. Five new body colors also emerge in tints like Everglade
Metallic, Savannah Metallic and Flint Mica.
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| Toyota
Highlander |
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New styling
inside and out go to Highlander, Toyota's mid-size SUV which has a unitized framework
derived from a sedan with FWD format, plus car-like mechanical components. Shapes
of headlamps, grille and foglamps are new and color choices come in new shades
like Salsa Red and Sonora Green Pearl.
In the cabin, new silver trim shows up on the base model but it's silver with
wood accents on deluxe Limited, with an optional fold-flat seat for a third row
on Limited and SR5 editions. Highlander also presents powertrain upgrades for
2004 with a new 2.4-liter four-pack engine pushing 160 hp and a 3.3-liter V6 scored
to 225 hp.
Optional
mechanical gear for safety includes traction control and a vehicle skid control
(VSC) device, limited-slip rear differential for 4WD editions without VSC, and
side-impact air bags. Standard equipment on all editions includes air conditioning,
floor and ceiling consoles, a tilting steering wheel and cruise control, height-adjustable
headrests for all seat positions, and a stereo sound kit. |
| Toyota
Sienna |
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An entirely
new treatment of Toyota's made-in-America minivan shows up in the 2004 line. The
new version rides on an expanded platform and features improved drive and drive
qualities, more room in the cabin and a larger engine. The 3.3-liter V6 bumps
up to 230 hp and is the same engine used by the Lexus RX 330 wagon.
In
Sienna's expanded cabin, a third-row bench seat is standard, while seats on the
second row come in two different formats for seven or eight passengers. In the
seven-person mode, there are two buckets on the second row in place of a bench,
but the right-ride bucket can be moved next to the one on the left, leaving an
aisle on the right.
In
the eight-passenger Sienna, there's a bench on the second row but the center section
slides independently and can moves closer to the front. Sienna's third-row seat
splits in unequal sections and each side folds into a deep well to fashion a flat
floor.
Sienna
divides into four trim grades with CE, LE, XLE and XLE Limited. All come in FWD
format, but the latter three also show optional AWD traction.
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