THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER: FROM CLASSIC TO MODERN SUV

Before the Toyota 4Runner came to be the SUV so many people love, a small project was launched with the release of the Toyota Trekker. This started out due to the discontinuation of the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 in 1979. The Trekker was built in collaboration with Winnebago and was a great success. Since it had such a big audience, Toyota decided to give the people what they wanted. And so, the Toyota 4Runner was conceptualized.

Over the years, the concept of the Toyota 4Runner has maintained its sole purpose of being a reliable, family-friendly, outdoor SUV. Originally based on a Hilux pickup truck, a cabin for the whole family was added, allowing more passengers. The first model even involved a fiberglass cover for the rear-end. The car has evolved a lot since then, keeping its reliability the main reason why it’s so popular.

First Generation 4Runner, Also Known As N60

After the big hit of the Toyota Trekker, the 4Runner was delivered to the world in 1984. Given that it’s a modified Hilux, it’s referred to as a Toyota Hilux 4Runner, or Hilux Surf for the Japanese market. The panel with integrated window behind the front seats was removed from the Hilux, while rear seats and a removable fiberglass canopy were added. That’s about as far as the modification went, so mechanically the Toyota 4Runner was almost identical to the Hilux, including having only two doors. Because so little was changed, they forgot to calculate for the extra weight in the back, resulting in sagging rear suspension.

Though Toyota still had a lot to improve, it was a fine SUV with a carburetted 2.4-liter 22R engine. The company even included the four-wheel-drive system into all the models. Equipped with the removable fiberglass top, it was easily converted back into a pickup. Over the next few years, they introduced several new upgrades, such as the electronic fuel-injection for the 2.4-liter 22R-E I4 engine.

Moving forward, the 1986 Toyota 4Runner model received new features to improve its stability, handling, and comfort on the road. First, Hi-Trac independent front suspension was installed instead of its solid front axle. Though this suspension had many benefits, it was found to be somewhat less capable off-road. With this model, the Toyota 4Runner saw its three segment grille being replaced by a two segment version.

With the last model of the first generation, the optional 3.0-liter V6 3VZ-E engine was offered starting from 1988. Even though it packed a lot more power, it wasn’t as reliable as the 22R-E engine. Those models that were sold with the V6 engine, did include the heavy-duty rear differential, which was designed for the turbocharged models. Some minor changes had been made to the appearance, but it remained fairly similar.

Evolving The 4Runner Into A Family Car

Since the Hilux basis seemed to be the perfect solution, not much had changed with the introduction of the second generation. Instead of mounting a fiberglass cap, the 1990 Toyota 4Runner models started using a full steel integrated body. Another addition was the improved coil spring rear suspension, that sadly also induced sagging. The biggest noticeable improvement was the fact that the Toyota 4Runner now had four doors.

They even pushed it so far that they completely removed the two-door version from the lineup in 1993. The engines remained mainly the same as the Hilux, with only the Japanese market receiving some diesel engines. Again, they made some small modifications to the exterior, with modular headlights being the most remarkable change.

These cars might seem robust, but they sure as hell weren’t the safest SUVs on the market. Luckily, regulations started to be stricter, resulting in the addition of improved safety features. Starting from the 1994 model, the Toyota 4Runner received side-impact beams. In the next year, they’ve introduced airbags for the driver as well as the passenger, making it more family-friendly.

Introducing A New Chassis For Third Generation

With the 1996 model being released to the public, the Toyota 4Runner received a completely new body and chassis. Even though this model received its own body and chassis, the engine and transmission were still borrowed from another model. This time, the Toyota 4Runner shared the same engine and transmission as the first generation Tacoma. Two options were available, the 2.7-liter 3RZ-FE and the 3.4-liter 5VZ-FE, resulting in respectively 150 HP and 183 HP.

The body frame had seen a slight enlargement, bringing the wheelbase to 1053.3 inches wide. Ultimately, this led to improved off-road capabilities, for which the car has been widely used. Nowadays, the third generation is considered to be one of the best generations. In those years, the model was considered to be ahead of its time when compared to its rivals. For those willing to pay extra, the 1999 4Runner offered the "multi-mode" transfer case system, enabling AWD.

Since the end of the second generation had such success with the additional safety features, they continued the trend. As a market first, they included ABS, dual airbags, and reinforced doors, even though it wasn’t the norm in the industry. Along with the additional space in the interior and cargo room, some ergonomic improvements were made by moving the controls around. In 2001, the optional e-locker for the rear axle was replaced by the all-new advanced traction control system.

The Fourth Generation 2004 4Runner Included The Third Row Seats

For the second time, Toyota chose to modify the chassis and body completely, while maintaining the same target audience. This generation was the first to offer a V8 engine, the 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE, which delivered 235 HP. On the front, it had a double wishbone suspension, which is a great independent suspension, while the back had solid axles. Combined with the body-on-frame construction, it had to compromise some interior room and handing on the road.

The year 2004 brought an extra row of seats as an optional module, and Tire Pressure Monitoring systems were introduced. For the next model in 2005, the Toyota 4Runner received a new set of bumpers, projector lights in the front paired with LEDs in the back, and a newly designed grille. With the release of the 2008 model, Toyota introduced many extra safety features, including standard front row side torso and rollover sensing side curtain airbags. From now on, the Vehicle Stability Control had a dedicated switch to freely turn it off.

High Tech Gadgets For Fifth Generation Toyota 4Runner

The fifth, and current, generation of the Toyota 4Runner received all the technological marvels the world has seen. This brings smart key technology, locking differentials, crawling settings, Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (or KDDS) and many more. You also no longer need to bring your own GPS, since it has GPS navigation built into the entertainment center. Further, they’ve also included cameras and Bluetooth connectivity to said entertainment center.

With all these technological advances, the Toyota 4Runner has proven to be useful off-road, with many modifications available. Since the beginning, it has been a family-friendly SUV that’s off-road ready. Nowadays, they can’t even keep them on the parking lot because they are so highly desired models. It seems like their continuous improvements, while maintaining reliability, have paid off.

2023-05-27T19:21:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd