The Toyota 4Runner has been one of the most charming SUVs on the road. It’s capable, it’s bulletproof and, most importantly, it just looks cool. But it was long past time for a change.
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The fifth-generation version — which entered production back in 2009 — has grown outdated; it gets less than 20 mpg on the highway; and its five-speed automatic transmission offers half the number of gears of the new Ford Bronco.
The time for change has come. Toyota finally has revealed the all-new sixth-generation 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Here’s everything you need to know about it the awaited and highly anticipated SUV.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Is Going Back to Its Truck Roots
The original 4Runner of the ‘80s was essentially a Toyota truck with a cab on the back. The 2025 version, designed in concert with the 2024 Tacoma, has returned to pretty much that same blueprint mechanically and aesthetically.
Like the Tacoma, the 4Runner is built on Toyota’s new TNGA-F body-on-frame truck platform and should deliver ride quality improvements we’ve seen in other vehicles. Unlike the Tacoma, Toyota will continue to assemble the 4Runner at its Tahara plant in Japan.
What engines does the 2025 Toyota 4Runner have?
Toyota has been downsizing its engines as it moves its body-on-frame trucks to the TNGA-F platform. Unsurprisingly, the new 4Runner’s powerplant follows this same trend, as the 4.0L V6 of the outgoing 4Runner has been replaced by a pair of turbocharged 2.4L 4-cylinder options used in the Tacoma.
The base iForce combustion engine (standard on SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited grades) puts out 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The upgrade iForce Max hybrid — the most powerful engine Toyota has ever put in a 4Runner — pumps out 326 hp and 465 lb-ft.
Does the 2025 Toyota 4Runner offer a manual transmission?
It can’t all be good news. Manual transmissions are rare in this day and age, and although rivals like the Jeep Wranger and Ford Bronco do offer stick shifts to appeal to their enthusiast customers, the 2025 4Runner will not. The new SUV is only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission, at least at launch.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner offers two new trims: Trailhunter and Platinum
Like the Tacoma, the 4Runner is offering a new premium Trailhunter grade, oriented more toward rock crawling and overlanding than the Baja desert-runner TRD Pro. Toyota describes the Trailhunter grade as “a manufacturer-developed overland rig straight from the factory,” and they’re not exaggerating.
The automaker collaborated with a number of external off-road parts makers to kit out the 4Runner Trailhunter. ARB supplies its Old Man Emu (OME) 2.5-inch forged shocks and a co-designed Roof Rack, while 33-inch Open Country A/T tires come from Toyo and provide an additional 2 inches of ground clearance up front and 1.5 inches in the back.
Other standard add-ons for the Trailhunter that will please overlanding enthusiasts include a low-profile high-mount air intake, rock rails, steel skid plates, a 20-inch LED light bar and a 2,400W AC inverter that provides powre to both the cabin and the rear cargo area.
Toyota also added a new Platinum luxury trim level to slot above the Limited grade. It features unique black styling details, heated second-row seats, automatic rain-sensing wipers and a standard tow-tech package.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner received some off-roading upgrades
You’d better believe it. Toyota has equipped the new 4Runner with myriad off-road upgrades, making it clear that this is the most off-road-capable example of the SUV yet. Chief among these new features is a stabilizer bar disconnect mechanism that allows for increased suspension articulation at the press of a button — a feature present on the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.
Other off-road features include a change to the Multi-Terrain Select system that allows it to function in both 4WD-High and 4WD-Low, offering greater control over wheel spin on multiple types of terrain, along with a quieter CRAWL Control function. Finally, the TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro and Triailhunter grades all come standard with an electronic locking rear differential for even more control and adaptability off-road.
Does the 2025 Toyota 4Runner have an upgraded interior?
The new 4Runner interior makes a great leap into the 2020s. The vehicle is equipped with Toyota’s latest multimedia system and features either a new 8- or 14- inch multimedia touchscreen display. A smart key with push-button start is standard on all grades, while certain grades also have access to a Digital Key that enables you to use your smartphone as your key.
A Peek Inside the 2025 4Runner Interior
7 ORIGINAL PHOTOS
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Will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get an electric version?
No, at least not yet. Toyota previewed its EV roadmap in 2021, although reports from fall 2022 had Toyota rethinking that roadmap. We’ve seen a concept that looks a lot like an electric Tacoma, but nothing similar for the 4Runner (though getting from a Tacoma EV to a 4Runner EV would not be a huge technical leap).
We suspect Toyota will offer an electric 4Runner eventually, but there isn’t one available at the launch of the sixth generation. Toyota may wait to introduce a 4Runner EV until it can implement its new EV battery technology.
What sort of fuel economy will the 2025 Toyota Runner deliver?
The previous 4Runner earned an unimpressive 17 mpg combined, and while Toyota has not yet shared fuel efficiency numbers for the new version, we suspect it will improve upon those numbers thanks to the switch from a V6 to turbocharged 4-cylinder engines (including a hybrid).
For reference, the 2024 Tacoma gets 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined in 4×4 SR5 trim. That should be a solid approximation of where a Tacoma-based gas 4Runner ends up, with the iForce Max hybrid versions probably ending up comparable to the current Land Cruiser hybrid’s 23 mpg combined fuel efficiency.
How much will the 2025 4Runner cost?
Toyota has not revealed official pricing for the 2025 4Runner yet, but we can make an educated guess as to how much it costs, with our expectation being that it would slot in beneath the Land Cruiser in Toyota’s lineup, likely landing the 4Runner in the $40,000 — $60,000 range.
When will the 2025 4Runner be available?
Toyota says the 2025 4Runner will arrive at dealerships in the fall of 2024. We don’t have a firm timeline beyond that. Remember that “fall of 2024” can technically stretch until late December if needed.
2025 Toyota 4Runner
The new 6th generation 2025 Toyota 4Runner is here after a 15-year wait. Like the Tacoma, it’s built on Toyota’s new TNGA-F body-on-frame truck platform and should deliver ride quality improvements. Other notable features include a new hybrid powertrain option, new Platinum trim and Trailhunter trim for over landing. And yes it still keeps the classic power rear window.read more
Specs
| Powertrain(s) | Standard: i-FORCE MAX Turbocharged 2.4-Liter Four-Cylinder | Optional i-FORCE MAX Turbocharged 2.4-Liter Hybrid |
| Hybrid Battery | 1.87-kWh NiMH Battery |
| Horsepower | 278 (Non-Hybrid) | 326 (Hybrid) |
| Torque | 378 lb-ft (Non-Hybrid) | 465 lb-ft (Hybrid) |
| Seats | 5 or 7 (With Optional Third-Row) |
| Transmission | Eight Speed Automatic |
| Drivetrains | Two-Wheel Drive, Part-Time 4×4, Full-Time 4×4 |
| Off-Roading Features | Standard: Auto LSD | Available: Electronic Locking Rear Differential | Available: Center Locking Differential | Available Available Front Stabilizer Bar Disconnect Mechanism (SDM), |
| Trims | SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Sport Premium, TRD Off Road, TRD Off Road Premium, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, Platinum |
| Max Towing Capacity | 6000 lbs |
| Standard Safety Features | Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0: Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection | Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist | Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control | Lane Tracing Assist | Road Sign Assist | Automatic High Beams | Proactive Driving Assist |
| Ground Clearance | 9.2 inches |
| Wheelbase | 112.2 in. |
| EPA Fuel Economy | N/A |
| Starting MSRP | N/A |
