For the first generation N60 series Hilux Surf and export specification 4Runner introduced in 1983, 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. Compared to the pickup, the Surf/4Runner changes included the removal of the panel with integrated rear window from behind the front seats, and adding rear seats, a roll bar, and a removable fiberglass canopy.[14][15]

The concept was borrowed from both the second generation Ford Bronco, and the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, which were both based on existing short-bed pickup trucks with the addition of removable fiberglass shells over the rear sections and bench seats installed in the back. Like the Bronco and the Blazer, the Hilux Surf/4Runner also removed the rear wall behind the front seats in the corresponding pickup trucks. In that sense, all three vehicles were more modified than simply adding a fiberglass shell to conventional pickup trucks.[