It's hard to deny that the Toyota 4Runner remains one of the most charming SUVs on the road. It’s capable, it’s bulletproof — and, perhaps most importantly, it just looks cool. The trouble is, the fifth generation — which entered production back in 2009 — has grown outdated. It gets less than than 20 mpg on the highway, and its five-speed automatic transmission offers half the number of gears that the new Ford Bronco does. It’s time for Toyota to give us an upgrade for the 4Runner; luckily, one should be arriving very soon.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming sixth-generation 2025 Toyota 4Runner.
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When will the sixth generation Toyota 4Runner be revealed?
The 4Runner6G rumor suggests that the new 4Runner won't be a broad departure from the previous model. It should share front-end styling features with the 2024 Tacoma. One particular change noted is a more vertical C-pillar to allow easier entry to the second row.
What engine will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get?
toyota
Toyota has been downsizing engines as it moves its body-on-frame trucks to the TNGA-F platform. So, the 4Runner will almost definitely move from the current 4.0-liter V6 to four-cylinder power. The best bet is still the Tacoma's 2.4-liter gas engine, which pushes out 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque when fitted with an 8-speed automatic.
Will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get a manual transmission?
Toyota
We don't often see manufacturers adding manual transmissions to cars. But Toyota reintroducing a manual option for the sixth-generation 4Runner is not inconceivable.
The 4Runner should be heavily related to the new Tacoma, which does offer a trim-limited six-speed manual. That would reduced some of the effort required. Adding a manual would fit with the rugged, old-school appeal of the 4Runner. And rivals like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco offer manual options.
The calculation — as with every manual — is whether enough real-life buyers would buy one to make it warrant the extra effort. Whatever happens with the 4Runner's transmission, an upgrade from the current five-speed automatic is a given.
Will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get a hybrid engine?
Jason Bax
Toyota has noted for some time it wants every vehicle to offer a hybrid option by 2025. Plans to incorporate battery power have only become more ambitious since. The Tacoma offers a hybrid iForce Max version of the 2.4-liter, pushing out 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That's the standard powertrain for the new Land Cruiser.
It would be weirder if Toyota didn't offer the iForce Max four-cylinder with the upper trims of the 4Runner — even if that would help differentiate it from the Land Cruiser.
Will the sixth-generation 4Runner get a Trailhunter version?
Tyler Duffy
Toyota has introduced a new Trailhunter premium grade for its trucks and SUVs. It's oriented more toward rock crawling and overlanding while the TRD Pro is more of a Baja-style desert runner. The Tacoma has a Trailhunter version alongside the TRD Pro. It would be weirder if the 4Runner didn't follow suit.
Will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get an upgraded interior?
NATHAN LEACH-PROFFER
Yes. The new Tacoma interior (shown here) included substantial modernization and upgrades, including an available 14-inch touchscreen. We expect the 4Runner to follow suit and for its interior styling to strongly resemble the Tacoma.
Will the 2025 Toyota 4Runner get an electric version?
We suspect Toyota will offer an electric 4Runner eventually. But barring a radical rethink of the 4Runner, we don't expect an EV to come at the launch of the sixth generation. Toyota may wait to introduce a 4Runner EV until it can implement its new EV battery technology.
Will the new 2025 4Runner still be built in Japan?
toyota
Toyota is moving its body-on-frame trucks and SUVs to their new TNGA-F truck platform. It underpins the new J300 Land Cruiser, the new Tundra, the Lexus LX 600 and the new Sequoia. A smaller version of it should be used for both the 4Runner and the new Tacoma pickup.
Like the Land Cruiser, the 4Runner has traditionally been built in Japan. But the point of the new common platform is to streamline production costs. Toyota will still build the American Land Cruiser in Japan. But we could see some or all of 4Runner production shift to North America.
What fuel economy will the 2025 Toyota Runner have?
Toyota
Nearly every 4Runner change will be directed at improving fuel economy; the current model earns an unimpressive 17 mpg combined. Toyota has not revealed complete numbers for the Tacoma or the Land Cruiser yet.
We don't know yet. The current The current 4Runner starts at $39,555 MSRP and tops out at $54,020. Toyota has said the Land Cruiser will start in the mid-$50,000 range. Any increase in 4Runner pricing would butt up against that. So, we don't expect the 4Runner to get dramatically more expensive.
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