Toyota's take on the Yukon
Fulda Challenge is a test of man and machine

WHITEHORSE, Yukon - The rugged grandeur and sheer size of the Yukon Territory is difficult to fathom, even for those of us accustomed to plenty of space in which to roam. Its immense mountain ranges rise 6,000 metres above vast valleys. There are more than 483,450 square kilometres within its borders, yet only 30,000 inhabitants - two thirds of them in one town. Animals easily out-number people.

It's a people-to-space ratio that appeals to city-cramped Europeans. Especially for each of the last four winters, when they've come to the Yukon to compete in the Fulda Challenge, an extreme winter sports event encompassing snowshoe and ski marathons, deep gorge crossings while hanging from a rope, snowmobile races and a variety of other demanding tests.

Fulda, a German tire manufacturer, developed and sponsors the event - attracting competitors from several European nations - with support from Toyota in the form of vehicles for shuttling participants and their gear from one event location to another.

Sounds like a great excuse to sample some Toyotas in severe winter driving conditions, don't you think? It's an idea that hadn't escaped the fertile marketing minds at Toyota Canada either.

So, with rapid dispatch, we were soon being shepherded from the plane and directly into a fleet of 2004 Toyota trucks. Cold is a given in the Yukon. You first sense its severity in the causeway connecting aircraft to airport. The whole thing is cold. Not just the air inside but the entire structure, through and through. You know instantly not only is it cold outside, but that it's been that way for a very long time.

Normal boots and mitts don't suffice. We're talking big and bulky here, not exactly conducive to the nuances of subtle steering touches and foot pedal control. However, the practice of leaving vehicles running or plugging them in is the norm. Plugs for block heaters and battery blankets are everywhere - whether in the parking lot at the hotel or the nearest shopping centre. So heat is never too far away.

On the first day, we took a 2004 Highlander sport-utility into the nearby hills on a service road carved through the wilderness. Our destination was a microwave repeater tower at the top.

We didn't use the new, 2-person third-row seat, opting to leave it folded flat for added space. We did make good use of the Highlander's more powerful 3.3-litre V6, the same silky-smooth unit found in the Lexus RX 330, coupled to a 5-speed automatic. On the slippery slope up to the tower site, the SUV's standard stability control system proved most effective or annoying - depending on your point of view. It's nearly impossible to lose control, even intentionally. This system grabs control of brake and throttle whenever it senses impending trouble, while other systems allow some degree of slide slip or can be switched off if desired.

The next morning we were up and on the road long before the sun rose over the mountains. This was a chance to enjoy Toyota's new 4Runner in its element - rugged terrain. My first impression was that this was a serious piece of kit. Toyota buyers have a distinct choice between the Camry-based Highlander and the more truck-like 4Runner. One is more highway happy and the other boasts serious towing and off-road capability.

We got a taste of the latter venturing down a trail and onto a massive frozen lake for a little play time. None of the vehicles got stuck, but the Tundra pickup and big 4Runner sport-ute were obviously more in their element here than the Highlander and compact RAV4 sport-utility model.

Like the '04 Highlander, the fourth-generation 4Runner is now available with a third row of seats. In this case they can be folded to the side or removed completely when not in use. Our unit had the beefy 4.7-litre V8 underhood and a 5-speed automatic to look after power transmission. Its very sophisticated electronics made the 4Runner the off-road champion of the bunch. The full-time, 4-wheel drive system, with locking centre differential and low range, hill start and descent control, proved remarkably effective, especially when compared back-to-back with vehicles not so equipped.

Day three found us at the wheel of Toyota's new '04 Tundra Double Cab pickup truck. Introduced only last month, the Tundra proved as capable as the 4Runner in these extreme conditions. Ours had 4-wheel drive, a 240 horsepower, 4.7-litre V8 and 4-speed automatic.

Our final day found us in the least capable vehicle available - at least on paper. But the little RAV4 quickly dispensed with that notion thanks to a new, much more powerful 2.4-litre engine (shared with the Highlander and Camry). Belting out 165 horses, this unit negates the need for a thirstier V6. Toyota's smallest SUV also gets a new front end for 2004. The full-time all-wheel drive system with viscous centre coupling was never seriously challenged by any of the conditions we encountered, but I can't say the same for the lack of anti-lock braking on the 'Chili' edition we drove. This omission is a mistake in a vehicle with so much capability in slippery conditions.

We covered more than 1,000 kilometres over a four-day span on a wide variety of roads and conditions. We managed triple digit speeds on ice-covered highways and crawled at less than one-tenth of that on trails leading up mountains. We wore out our arms doing donuts and various other silly wheel twirling manoeuvres on frozen lakes.

In short, we were provided an almost perfect and unlimited opportunity to wring the most from vehicles and systems under the worst possible conditions - and to do it safely.

Each one of Toyota's 2004 offerings proved up to the challenge … Fulda or otherwise.