Toyota will add a sporty version of its 4Runner midsize SUV for this fall, with adaptive shock absorbers to improve on-road comfort and handling.

The 2022 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport also gets body-color accents on the grille, rocker panels and body moldings.

The automaker’s TRD, or Toyota Racing Development, group already creates back-county equipment and trim for 4Runner Off-Road and Pro models. The Sport is TRD’s first vehicle addressing on-road comfort and performance.

The corners talk to each other

The adaptive shocks connect the SUV’s opposite-corner front and rear in what Toyota calls the Cross-Linked Relative Absorber System, or X-REAS. It reduces the SUV’s tendency to feel like a seesaw when the front and rear corners get different inputs from bumps or cornering surfaces.

The result should be a truck that feels less "tippy" and more securely planted on the road in sporty driving or over rough surfaces.

Exterior features include:

—20-inch dark gray machined wheels

—TRD hood scoop

—Front spoiler

—Black roof rails

—Body-color door handles and TRD nameplate

Other features on the 4Runner TRD Sport will include black SofTex upholstery with gray accent stitching; TRD logos on the head rests, floor mats and shift knob; heated front seats; an 8-inch touch screen; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant and Wi-Fi capability.

2- or 4-wheel drive

The 4Runner TRD Sport has a 270-horsepower 4.0L V6 engine, five-speed automatic transmission and 5,000-pound towing capacity. It’s available with rear drive, four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case with a low range.

Standard safety and assistance features will include:

—Collision alert with pedestrian alert

—Lane departure alert

—Automatic high beams

—Adaptive cruise control

The 4Runner, which rides on a pickup-type frame-rail chassis, has been a mainstay of Toyota’s truck lineup for decades. It competes primarily with off road-oriented SUVs like the Jeep Cherokee and upcoming Ford Bronco.