How Toyota's Mega Cruiser Went Toe-To-Toe With Hummer

Except for the outsized dimensions and rear-wheel steering, the Mega Cruiser is equally geared up to AM Normal’s SUV: an engine mounted far again within the chassis, portal axles for additional floor clearance, an onboard tire inflation/deflation system, and full time all-wheel drive. 

To afford such excessive floor clearance, the Mega Cruiser tucks its drivetrain excessive into the passenger compartment, leading to an enormous transmission tunnel dividing the occupants. In contrast to the Hummer, at the least, the supersize Toyota’s transmission hump stopped wanting the rear seat, permitting a whopping four-across bench seat to be fitted.

Underneath the Mega Cruisers expansive hood, we discover an fascinating selection in engine: a 4.1 liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. Whereas 4.1 liters is massive for a four-cylinder, it is nonetheless a four-cylinder. The output was rated at 153 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque, which is extraordinarily underpowered for such a big and heavy machine. 

How underpowered? In accordance with Highway & Observe, accelerating from 0-60 MPH took an agonizing 20.6 seconds. In a latest take a look at at altitude within the Colorado Rockies, a pattern Mega Cruiser could not even attain 60 MPH — topping out at simply 50 MPH with the throttle large open.

As a comfort, the compact diesel was in a position to squeeze out 13 MPG in mixed freeway/metropolis driving, which is not precisely Prius-level gasoline financial system, however not terrible both contemplating the dimensions and weight of this monster.

[Featured image by Hunini via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]