What would be the point of taking away the 4runners body on frame underpinning? They already have the highlander and just discontinued the fj cruiser
Exactly my point. So, unless Toyota engineers have come up with "the best of both worlds", a ultra high strength steel alloy than can be used in a unibody and provide the structural integrity to hold up to the abuses of hard off-roading, it will ultimately lead to the demise of the 4Runner, at least as we know it.
From a liability standpoint, corporate leaders do not want their products subject to aftermarket modification, whether it be drag racing, off-roading, or any other type of amateur, grass-roots auto sports. You take away that ability by making wheel wells small so it limits tire options, suspension control arm pick-up points that fall short of optimal, unibody construction that is designed to "flex" at the front and rear, engine management that inhibits "hacking" or "chipping", so on, and so forth. Manufacturers fight with SEMA all the time. Dealerships hate to work on any vehicle that has been modified, and they certainly don't want those vehicles on their lots.
So, getting back to the future of the 4Runner. Look at any manufacturer that once had a SUV model that could be used and modified for off-road use...what form are they in now...basically a big, luxury station wagon and a shadow of what they once were. On the other hand, I would prefer to see some commitment to the heritage of the 4Runner by creating a superior, off road capable vehicle, unibody (Land Rover, etc) or not. Weld in chassis bracing has been done with unibody sports cars for decades, so certainly this could be done with a unibody SUV. If they could lighten the weight, provide superior suspension articulation, gearing options, locker option, and wheel wells shaped to accomodate larger tire n wheel options, etc. So, it is up to Toyota to loose their off roading customers.
I'll keep my 4Runner as long as I can, but ultimately may end up with a 4x4 truck to replace it.
