Sport-utility wagons and minivans backed by the Toyota brand in 2006 incorporate both truck- and car-based vehicles sorted into seven models.

Toyota's largest truck-based SUV is the Sequoia, but Land Cruiser is a full-size wagon and 4Runner fits in the mid-size class. Car-based wagons from Toyota include the mid-size Highlander and compact RAV-4, while Toyota's popular minivan carries the tag of Sienna. Joining these wagons in the Class of 2006 is Toyota's first hybrid-powered SUV billed as the Highlander Hybrid.

Super-size Sequoia shares a structure with the Tundra truck forward of the cabin's second pillars, yet the wagon differs in composition behind those pillars as it's a vast space organized with three rows of seats for up to eight passengers plus a cargo bay in the rear accessible through a liftgate. For power Sequoia employs Tundra's 4.7-liter V8 engine featuring valve system labeled VVTL-i for variable valve timing and lift with intelligence.

In 2006 the V8 is rated at 273 hp. Either conventional rear two-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction works for Sequoia's two trim designations of SR5 and Limited. For SR5 a Sport package adds foglamps, tubular running boards, a front skid plate, rear height-control suspension and 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels plus fabric-clad bucket seats on the second row flanking a center console. Fresh paints apply in 2006 like Timberland Mica and Salsa Red Pearl.

Toyota's full-size Land Cruiser SUV scores a face-lift for 2006 with revised fascia front and back, high-gloss finish on 18-inch alloy wheels and new shades for body paint like Thunder Cloud and Pacific Blue. The wagon's torque-heavy V8 engine gains Toyota's VVTL-i variable valve timing to boost output to 275 hp through a five-speed automatic transmission. A full-time 4WD traction mechanism on Land Cruiser employs an electronic control unit called Active TRAC which automatically transfers engine torque to wheels that maintain the best grip. There's a new tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) aboard, plus options of Active Height Control (AHC-4) for wheel height control and the Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension (TEMS).

A cushy passenger compartment accommodates seven on three tiers of seats. Editions of 2006 show an updated instrument cluster with TPMS warning lamp and a red zone added to the analog tachometer.

Toyota's mid-size SUV is a truck-tough vehicle designed for serious work on dirt or pavement. For 2006, 4Runner's body carries a redesigned fascia, new overfenders and restyled body cladding plus new tail treatment. SR5 trim has chrome on grille and side door handles, while Sport gets a smoked chrome grille and head lamp bezels, as Limited rolls on new standard 18-inch alloy wheels.

Muscle stems from a standard V6 or optional V8. Top version adopts the 4.7-liter V8 and full-time 4WD system off Land Cruiser for 260 hp. The base 4.0-liter V6 this year delivers 236 hp. Both 2WD and 4WD versions of 4Runner are available. For the V6 a multi-mode 4WD system with limited-slip center differential can switch between 4WD and 2WD modes. In the cabin options include a third-row bench and a navigation system with reverse-view camera.