Toyota took inspiration from Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, who were the first people to climb Mt. Everest in 1953. This inspiration was the driving force behind what Toyota called the most ambitious 4Runner to date. The exterior design of the 4th generation 4runner was certainly more macho when compared to the 3rd generation 4runner. The new body style was longer and wider than the previous look, while still maintaining the general shape of the 3rd generation 4runner.
Toyota wanted to emphasis the spaciousness of the 4th gen 4Runner interior. This brand new interior was larger in every dimension and offered more shoulder and hip room, in addition to greater cargo capacity. The dashboard sported a fully-integrated center stack that arranged all entertainment & HVAC displays logically. The central air vents were split up by the stereo while the HVAC controls were well labeled and offered large buttons for easy use. The gated shifter on the extra-wide center console housed an armrest with fold-out convenience tray. The rear HVAC ducts helped to keep all passengers comfortable.
When designing the 4th generation 4runner, Toyota’s research indicated that 80% of SUV buyers wanted a 6-cylinder engine. This new engine needed to have high power output, good durability with low maintenance, and high fuel efficiency with low emissions. Using 3D modeling helped Toyota produce their first all-aluminum truck engine with variable valve timing.The finished product was the brand-new 4.0L 60 degree v6. This DOHC 24V 6 cylinder utilized a long stroke high-torque design to produce 245 horsepower and 282 lb. ft. Of torque. Impressive numbers from 4 liters of displacement. This V6 uses chain driven cams and a serpentine drive belt with auto tensioner. The V6 was EPA certified as a low emissions vehicle and the use of the new linkless electronic throttle control system with intelligence helped to improve both performance and efficiency. In 2006, the engine received a new head gasket design and other revisions to make 236 horsepower along with 266 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM.
The 2UZ-FE was the first v8 engine ever offered in a 4runner. It debuted in the Tundra pickup in 2000 and quickly gained a reputation as smooth, refined engine with plenty of power. Initially, the engine produced 235 Hp @ 4,800 rpm and 320 ft/lbs @ 3,400 rpm. This DOHC 32V V8 utilized an iron block with aluminum heads, 9.6:1 compression ratio, and ultra-fine cell ceramic catalytic converters to be labeled as a low emissions vehicle. In 2005, the 2UZ received Toyota’s VVT-i variable valve timing with intelligence and a 10.0 to 1 compression ratio to produce 270 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque.
The 4Runner maintained it’s durable reputation and off-road cred by continuing to use a body-on-ladder frame chassis design that featured full-length boxed section frame rails. The use of large diameter body mounts helped increase torsional rigidity over the entire vehicle while improving cabin isolation from NVH. For towing, the V6 had a hitch mounted to the rear crossmember use a weight carrying hitch rated at up to 5000lbs while the V8 had the hitch mounted to the frame rails and use a weight distribution hitch rated at around 7000 lbs. The wheelbase was increased by 4.5” and there was 5.7" added to the width. Height with the roof Rack was 71.2".
Four-channel Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), as well as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with traction control (TRAC) were standard on all 4th gen 4Runner models. Suspension consisted of a double wishbone design in the front with a four-link rigid type suspension in the rear.
Standard on the Sport Edition and optional on the Limited was the X-REAS diagonal-linked relative absorber suspension system. Opposite corner shocks are cross-linked and their compression chambers share hydraulic fluid via a central control absorber. This absorber contains a free piston that pushes against a low-pressure nitrogen charge. This fluid is automatically transferred as needed during driving. During a hard left hand turn, fluid is transferred from the left rear shock to the right front shock, increasing the damping force where needed.
Four-wheel drive V6 4Runner models use a Multi-Mode shift-on-the-fly 4WD system with a Torsen® torque-sensing type limited-slip center differential with locking feature. This system allows the driver to select 4WD or 2WD operation. The V8 4WD models feature a full-time four-wheel drive system with the Torsen limited-slip center differential with locking feature. The Torsen differential distributes the power 40 percent front / 60 percent rear under most conditions and changes the ratio as needed based on steering input and wheel slip.
