Toyota 4Runner |
|---|
|
| Topic Navigation |
|---|
|
Wikipedia: Toyota 4Runner
Page Sections History Photographs Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Toyota 4Runner page on 10 September 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota and sold throughout the world from 1984 to present. In Japan it was known as the Toyota Hilux Surf (トヨタ ハイラックスサーフ). The original 4Runner was a compact SUV and 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 cross between a compact and a mid-size SUV. All 4Runners have been built at Toyota's Tahara plant at Tahara, Aichi, Japan, or at Hino Motors' Hamura, Japan plant, and in Brazil. Its mid-size crossover SUV counterpart is the Toyota Highlander.
Hilux Surf models in Japan are widely exported as used vehicles to Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.
For Southeast Asia the Hilux Surf was replaced in 2005 by the similar Fortuner, which is based on the Hilux platform.
As of 2014, the 4Runner is sold in the United States, Canada, Central America, Bahamas, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
The 4Runner came in at number three in a 2016 study by iSeeCars.com ranking the top 10 longest-lasting vehicles in the US. The 4Runner had 5.2 percent of vehicles over 200,000 miles (320,000 km), according to the study.
First generation (N60; 1984–1989)
For the first generation N60 series Hilux Surf and export specification 4Runner introduced in 1984, Toyota, instead of developing an entirely new model, modified the existing Hilux (N50/N60/N70) with short-bed pickup body. The Hilux had undergone a major redesign in 1983 for the 1984 model year. Changes included the removal of the panel with integrated rear window from behind the front seats, the addition of rear seats, and a removable fiberglass canopy. The implementation was borrowed from both the second generation Ford Bronco, and the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, both short-bed trucks with removable fiberglass shells over the rear sections and having bench seats installed in the back. Like the Bronco and the Blazer, the Hilux Surf/4Runner also did not have a wall attached to the front section behind front seats as the regular Hilux did. In that sense, all three vehicles were not conventional pickup trucks with a fiberglass shell included.
Second generation (N120; N130; 1989–1995)
Toyota issued a second generation of Hilux Surf and 4Runner in 1989 for the 1990 model year. Known as the N120/N130 series, these models continued their reliance on the Hilux pickup as a basis. It represented a fundamental departure from the first generation model. Instead of an enhanced pickup truck with fiberglass cap, the new 4Runners featured a freshly designed, full steel integrated body mounted on the existing frame. However, the 4Runner did remain virtually identical to the Hilux from the B-pillars forward. It also gained an all new coil spring rear suspension system, which unfortunately proved to be just as prone to sagging as the leaf springs on the rear of the previous models.
Nearly all second generation 4Runners were four-door models; however, from launch in 1989 to May 1993, a two-door model was also produced. These models are similar to the four-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. Two-door cars of the second generation are extremely rare. US sales ended in August 1992, but it continued to be available in the Canadian market through 1993, and Japan until May 1993.
Third generation (N180; 1995–2002)
In 1995 (for the 1996 model year) marked another significant redesign of the 4Runner, with an all-new body shell on an all-new chassis. This time, it shared virtually nothing with the pickup it had originally evolved from, and shared its chassis with that of the Land Cruiser Prado four-door wagon. 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 mid-size SUV market, the changes made in the third generation turned the 4Runner into a more luxury-oriented vehicle. This move paralleled the changes to the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, but moved the 4Runner into a distinctly different class from its older competitors, the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Blazer, and Isuzu Rodeo. The third generation 4Runner did, however, look very similar to the second generation.
Fourth generation (N210; 2003–2009)
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. Based on the Land Cruiser Prado 120 series, the new 4Runner retained the same basic exterior styling themes, and was still marketed as a mid-size semi-luxury SUV with off-road capabilities. Available trims were the SR5, Sport Edition, and Limited models. An all-new LEV certified 4.0 L 1GR-FE V6 which produces 245 hp (183 kW) and 282 lb·ft (382 N·m) of torque is standard, but for the first time, a V8 became available, the ULEV certified 4.7 L 2UZ-FE engine which in the US produced 235 hp (175 kW) and 320 lb·ft (434 N·m) in model years 2003 and 2004, then, with the addition of VVT-i, 260 hp (194 kW) and 306 lb·ft (415 N·m) from model years 2005–2009. Fuel economy is estimated at 17 mpg city, 20 mpg highway for the V6 and 15/19 mpg for the V8. Towing capacity is 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) on V6 models and 7,300 pounds (3,300 kg) on RWD V8 models (7000 pounds w/4WD). The 4Runner first entered dealer showrooms in October 2002 for the 2003 model year. Three trims levels were offered, SR5, Sport Edition, and Limited. When it was first introduced the SR5 and Sport Edition models used gray plastic cladding and bumpers. Sport models also featured a non-functional hood scoop.
Fifth generation (N280; 2009–present)
The fifth generation 4Runner was unveiled at the Texas State Fair on September 24, 2009. It is available in 3 trim levels, 2 of which were available previously. The base SR5 trim as well as the top-of-the-line Limited trim are available as a 2WD or a 4WD. The new Trail Edition is only available as a 4WD. The SR5 and Trail Edition 4WDs will receive a part-time 4WD drive system, while the Limited will have full-time 4WD. All models will come with A-TRAC. The new Trail Edition offers Toyota's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) and Crawl Control which had previously only been available to premium Toyota vehicles, as well as a rear locking differential like the previous Trail Package.
 |
2012 2012 New York International Auto Show Photo courtesy Parts.OlatheToyota.com View photo of 2012 Toyota 4Runner - 293KB |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| July 1999 | Remote Investigation / Vehicle to Vehicle 1997 Toyota 4Runner National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 791KB - 17 pages |
| May 2002 | Combination Investigation / Vehicle to Vehicle Vehicle - 2001 Toyota 4-Runner SUV National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 995KB - 22 pages |
| June 2003 | On-Site Child Safety Seat Investigation Century Smart Move SE Convertibel Child Safety Seat Vehicle - 1990 Toyota 4 Runner National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 835KB - 19 pages |
| September 2006 | Rollover Investigation / Vehicle to Vehicle 2006 Toyota 4Runner National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 1,812KB - 17 pages |
| August 2008 | Calspan On-Site Side Impact Inflatable Occupant Protection System Crash Investigation Vehicle: 2007 Toyota 4Runner National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 559KB - 15 pages |
| July 2010 | FMVSS 135: Safety Compliance Testing (Light Vehicle Brake Systems) 2010 Toyota 4Runner SRS, 2WD, 4-Door SUV National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 25.4MB - 98 pages |
| 30 November 2010 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 126: Electronic Stability Control Systems 2010 Toyota 4Runner National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 11.3MB - 66 pages |
| Date | Article | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 6 January 2022 | The Latest 2022 Toyota 4Runner Now Available at Toyota San Luis Obispo, CA Customers who wish to purchase the latest 2022 Toyota 4Runner can now do so at the Toyota San Luis Obispo dealership. | Press Release ( PDF)Author: Richard Duran Business: Toyota San Luis Obispo Topic: Toyota 4Runner |
| 24 March 2022 | Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition, DP18-002 The petition requests that the Agency investigate alleged “premature and excessive frame corrosion” in model year 2002 through 2006 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. | Federal Register Notice  (text)Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Byline: Anne L. Collins Topic: Toyota 4Runner |
| 11 October 2022 | Purchase the Latest 2023 Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Edition Now at Ammaar’s Toyota Vacaville The Toyota 4Runner has been one of the brand’s bestselling vehicles for decades. | Press Release ( PDF) Author: Gul Parpia Business: Ammaar's Toyota Vacaville Topic: Toyota 4Runner |
