4th Gen 4Runner

I seem to remember in one of my back issues of Autoweek(3/99) there was a pic of a disguised 2002 4Runner captured ruuning around. The caption did go on to state that the 4Runner was being widened to compete with the Ford Explorer. If that is true then the new 4th Gen 4Runner should be in the 85 to 90 cu. ft. class. The Landcruiser is currently in the 95 to 100 cu. ft. class. The new Sequoia from the web page info shows it to be in the Expedition class(105-110 cu. ft.) The new Highlander is a car based SUV along the lines of the Lexus RX300. The dimensions given indicate a Toyota division copy of the RX300(75-80 cu. ft.). As far as the 4Runner moving downmarket to compete with the Nissan Xterra(60-70 cu. ft.), I think the new RAV4 should be able to this if it had a V-6. One my Autoweek issues show the Toyota division as having 5 SUV's(2-Car based, 3-Truck based). I think the more important concern is the power rating of the 4th Gen 4Runner engine. Nissan is strutting their new V6 out in all their ads saying their V6 is more powerful than their competitors V8's(240 Hp/265 ft-lbs torque)specifically any Toyota/Lexus V8's. Sounds like a good time to drop VVT-i in the V6 and V8 and/or better yet introduce a new VVT-i V6(3.5L-250 Hp/270 ft-lbs.) and V8(5.4L-350 Hp/400 ft-lbs). Throw in some TRD options for more and you can start signing up the buyers as we speak!!!!!