Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV manufactured by Toyota, sold mainly in the United States, Canada and Mexico and built from 1984 to the present as of 03/2006. The original 4Runner was little more than a Toyota pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, but the model has since undergone significant independent development into a midsize SUV.

The 4Runner is sold outside North America as the Toyota Hilux Surf. All 4Runners have been built at Toyota's plant in Tahara, Japan.

First generation (1984–1989)

The Toyota (Hilux) pickup (upon which the 4Runner was originally based) underwent a major redesign in 1983 for the 1984 model year. Many other automakers were introducing midsize SUVs in the mid 1980s (e.g., Ford Bronco II, Chevrolet Blazer) and the pressure mounted on Toyota to develop a competing model. Instead of developing an entirely new model, Toyota took an existing short-bed pickup body, made some simple modifications, and added a removable fiberglass top (much like the fullsize Ford Bronco and Chevrolet K-Blazer).

Thus, the first-generation 4Runner is nearly mechanically identical to the (Hilux)pickup. All first-generation 4Runners have two doors and are indistinguishable from the pickups from the dashboard forward. Nearly all changes were to the latter half of the body; in fact, because the rear springs were not upgraded to cope with the additional weight of the rear seats and fiberglass top, these early models tend to suffer from sagging rear suspensions.

The first 4Runners were introduced in 1984 as 1984 1/2 models. For this first year, all models were equipped with black or white fiberglass tops. An SR5 trim package was offered that upgraded the interior: additional gauges, better fabrics, and a rear seat were standard with the package. All 1984 models were equipped with the carbureted 2.4 L 22R engine and were all available with a four wheel drive system that drove the front wheels through a solid front axle (although this would be changed in 1986).

1985 saw the replacement of the 22R with the fuel-injected 2.4 L 22R-E engine. Additionally, rear seats were available in all 1985 4Runner trim levels, not just the SR5.

In 1986, all US Toyota pickup trucks (and the 4Runner) underwent a major design change as the suspension was changed from a solid front axle to an independent front suspension. This change for the US market made the trucks more driveable at highway speeds and increased the space in the engine compartment (necessary to fit larger motors, such as the V6 introduced in 1988) but arguably decreased the truck's off-road capabilities. Outside the US, the Hilux Surf also gained the new Hi-Trac suspension design, however the pickups (Hilux's)at this point retained the more rugged and capable, if less refined, solid axle configuration

A turbocharged version of the 22R-E engine (the 22R-TE) was also introduced in 1986, although this engine is significantly rarer than the base 22RE. Some of these turbocharged models (designated 4Runner SR5 Turbo) came equipped with digital dashboards and reinforced rear axles.

In 1988, the 22R-E engine was finally supplanted by an optional 3.0 L V6 engine, the 3VZ-FE. This engine was significantly larger than the original 4-cylinder offering and necessitated the IFS introduced in 1986.

Small cosmetic and option changes were made in 1989, but the model was left largely untouched in lieu of the replacement model then undergoing final development.

Second generation (1990–1995)

The 1990 model year 4Runner represented a fundamental departure from the first-generation model. Instead of an enhanced pickup truck, the new 4Runners featured a freshly designed body mounted on an existing frame. The difference is easily seen when comparing pickups and 4Runners of similar vintage: a 1984 4Runner looks remarkably similar to a 1984 Toyota pickup, whereas a 1990 4Runner shares only subtle styling details with the 1990 pickup.

Nearly all second-generation 4Runners were 4-door models, however from 1990 to 1992, a 2-door model was also produced. These vehicles are extremely rare and were discontinued in august 1992. These models are similar to the 4-door models of the time in that the bodies were formed as a single unit, instead of the fiberglass tops used in the first-generation 4Runners.

Because the drivelines were still developed from the same source, however, available engines were identical. A new 2.4 L four cylinder and the same 3.0 L V6 were both available in rear wheel drive and four wheel drive layouts. The new 4Runner used the independent front suspension that had been developed on the previous generation.

The Hilux Surf version for the Japanese home market was also available with a range of Diesel engines, a 2.4L Turbo-Diesel up to 1993 followed by 3.0L Turbo-Diesel. A small number were also made with a normally aspirated 2.8L diesel. A small number were also produced with a 2.0L naturally aspirated petrol engine.

Most other full-body SUVs produced at the time (e.g. Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer) featured tailgates that opened upward with the glass closed. In constast, the second-generation 4Runner carried over the retractable-glass tailgate from the first-generation. Opening these tailgates requires first retracting the rear window into the tailgate and then lowering the tailgate much like as on a pickup truck.

In 1992, the 4Runner received minor cosmetic updates, including modular headlamps instead of the increasingly outdated rectangular sealed beams. Additional cosmetic changes occurred between 1993 and 1995, the last year of the second generation.

Third generation (1996–2002)

1996 marked another significant redesign of the then-ageing 4Runner. Whereas the transition to the second-generation 4Runner was one that kept the build quality and options roughly on par with the rest of the midsize SUV market, the changes made in the third generation turned the 4Runner into a more luxury-oriented vehicle. This move parallelled the upgrades to the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, but moved the 4Runner into a distinctly different class than its older competitors, the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Blazer, and Isuzu Rodeo. The third generation 4Runner did, however, look very similar to the second generation. This similarity largely ended with its looks. It carried over the basic design and concept, but executed it differently. An all new body-shell, on an all new chassis. This time it shared virtually nothing with the Hilux pickup range it had originally evolved from, and had more in common with the Landcruiser, as it shared its chassis with that of the 90 Series Landcruiser Prado (aka Landcruiser Colorado) models. Significant changes from the 2nd generation models include, a larger body on a longer wheelbase, increased interior space, increased cargo space, twin airbags, ABS, lift-up tailgate, coil-sprung suspension all round, rack and pinion steering. Additionally Hilux Surf versions immediately moved to 16" wheels and gained a centre differential enabling the use of 4wd on hard surfaces without complication for the first time, the prior ADD system was retained to give on-the-fly shifting between 2 and 4wd as before.

Fourth generation (2003–present)

The fourth generation 4Runner incorporated serious changes to the chassis and body of the vehicle, but was targeted at approximately the same demographics as the third generation. The updated 4Runner looks very different from the older 4Runners, but is still targeted as a midsize quasiluxury SUV. Available trims are currently the SR5, Sport Edition, and the limited models. An all-new 4.0L V6 is standard in the current generation 4runners, but for the first time, a V8 became available for the fourth generation models. The same 4.7L V8 found in the FJ100 Land Cruisers, Tundra, and Sequoia are now an available option for the fourth generation.

Safety

Both the first and second-generation 4Runners became targeted as ultra unsafe SUVs. 1980s and early-1990s US crash regulations were not very strict for light trucks, and all early model 4Runners were fitted with doors that offered little protection in the event of a side collision. In most areas, there was little more than two pieces of sheet metal and the window to keep incoming vehicles from impacting passengers. Later, more stringent crash regulations mandated doors that offered as much protection as passenger car doors.

The most common accusations, however, were that 4Runners (and other narrow-track SUVs of the time) were prone to rollovers. Many light SUVs of the time featured comparatively high centers of gravity and, given the right situations, could be flipped over. Whether or not this is a serious road hazard is dependent on many parameters including the speed of the vehicle, the tires fitted to the vehicle, the road surface, and the driver's ability to predict and correct for situations that may result in a rollover. Third-generation 4Runners were designed with a wider track, but it is unclear if this was directly in response to increased pressure from safety groups of it was simply a product engineering decision.

External links

• Toyota.com : Vehicles : 4Runner. Toyota's US 4Runner website.
• History of the 4Runner from off-road.com.
• 4Runner History from toyotaoffroad.com.
• History of the Toyota 4Runner is the first of four pages describing the history of the 4Runner.