Toyota 4Runner 1st generation (N60)

Production period:	1984 to 1989
Body versions :	station wagon
Engines:	Gasoline : 2.0-3.0 liters (65-112 kW) Diesel :2.45 liters (54-64 kW)
Length:	4435 mm
Width:	1689 mm
Height:	1679 mm
Wheelbase :	2616 mm

The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV from Toyota that has been sold in North America since 1984 and is produced at the Toyota plant in Tahara (Aichi) .

Until 2009, it was also produced in Japan at the Hino plant in Hamura and sold in Japan and other Asian countries as Toyota Hilux Surf . At times, the 4Runner / Hilux Surf was also offered on other continents such as Europe and manufactured in the Toyota plant in Tahara (Aichi) or in Brazil .

The first 4Runner was a further development of the model based on the pickup Toyota Hilux TrailBlazer / Trekker / Wolverine. Then this generation was a pickup with a fiberglass hood over the bunk. Meanwhile, the model has undergone extensive development, and the current generation is a big SUV. His crossover counterpart is the Highlander .

The Hilux , from which the 4Runner originally descended, was fundamentally revised in the summer of 1983. Many other automakers introduced mid-size SUVs in the mid-1980s (such as the Ford Bronco II , the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer , the Nissan Pathfinder ) and so Toyota's pressure to offer a similar model increased. Instead of developing a new model, Toyota used its pickup model and fitted it with a one-piece body with fiberglass top (like the big Ford Bronco or the Chevrolet K5 Blazer ) and upgradeable rear seats.

So the first generation of the 4Runner with the pickup was mechanically almost the same. All of these cars had two doors and were identical with the pickup from the dashboard to the front. Almost all changes only affected the rear of the body. Because the rear leaf springs have not been reinforced to support the added weight of the rear seat and fiberglass roof, higher performance cars of this generation often suffer from worn out leaf springs. Thus, the car is lower back than the front.

The first 4Runner was introduced in the spring of 1984 as a 1984 ½ model. This year all models had a black or white GRP roof. There was an interior SR5 package with additional displays, better fabrics and standard rear seats. All models of the year had the Toyota 22R 2.4L R4 petrol engine, and there was an all-wheel-drive system with front axle, which was changed in 1986, much to the regret of many off-road enthusiasts.

In 1985, the 2.4-liter R4 engine with electronic fuel injection, type Toyota 22R-E, was introduced (the carburetor machine remained until 1988). In addition, starting in 1985, rear seats were standard on all 4Runner models, not just the SR5.

In 1986, all offered on the US market Toyota pickups (and also the 4Runner) have undergone major design changes: Instead of the front rigid axle they got independent front suspension. The track has been increased by 76 mm. These changes made the cars more comfortable on the road, improving their handling stability and handling. But obviously the independent suspension deteriorated the terrain qualities. In Japan, the Hilux Surf (which was identical to the 4Runner) got the new suspension and was called Hi-Tracsold. The pickups in Japan but kept their rigid axle. The radiator grille of the 4Runner was changed in 1986 from a three-part to a two-part model. The GRP roofs were adapted to the exterior color of the car; There were blue, red, and in some cases gold-colored roofs, while the 4Runners in other colors continued to have black or white roofs.

From 1984 to 1986, many 4Runner were introduced without rear seats in the United States. With only two seats, the cars could be approved as commercial vehicles instead of recreational vehicles, which was to pay significantly less import duty. Most of these vehicles were retro-fitted by US dealers with rear seats and seat belts.

Also in 1986, the turbocharged engine 22R-TE was introduced, although this much less rare than the 22R-E was ordered. It seems that all turbocharged 4Runner in the US were also equipped with automatic transmission, although there was also a manual five-speed gearbox for the turbo version of the pickup. Most turbo 4Runner had the SR5 equipment package and all were equipped with a stronger rear differential. Simplified turbo models had an indicator light for the turbo, the better models a digital display of the boost pressure. There were also naturally aspirated and turbodiesel engines for these vehicles, but they were not in demand at all in the US.

In 1988, a 3.0-liter V6 engine of the type Toyota 3VZ-E was added to the 22R-E engine on request. This engine was significantly larger and stronger than the four-cylinder engines. Cars with the big V6 engine had the same reinforced rear differential as the turbocharged four-cylinder, a whole new transmission and a new transfer case. This transfer case had chain drive and ran quieter than the previous gear-driven, but was also prone to problems.

One engine rarely used in both the US and Japan was the four-cylinder Toyota 3Y instead of the more common 22R. In New Zealand , this engine was mainly used and later replaced by the 2.2-liter R4, type Toyota 4Y. This sprang from a common parts concept from Toyota New Zealand, since there was no other Toyota there with the 22R engine at that time.

In 1989, there were a few minor cosmetic changes, but as the successor model was already in preparation, they let it go.

Europe

In some European countries such as Austria , Switzerland , Benelux and the Nordic countries , the first models of the 4-Runner were exported from 1985 with the installation of diesel engines from the Hilux.