The Toyota 4Runner is a true SUV legend, having been introduced in 1984 and remaining as a staple in the Toyota lineup without interruption for forty years. Unfortunately, the current generation is very long-in-the-tooth, largely unchanged since 2009. Gah, that's fifteen years, an eternity in the automotive industry. Usually, most carmakers perform a redesign in fewer than ten years. Toyota has been redesigning most of its truck and SUV lineup. Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, and now, at long last, the 2025 4Runner.
The New 4Runner is Better Than Ever
The new 4Runner is still body-on-frame, thankfully, and it's based on Toyota’s TNGA-F truck platform shared with the new Tacoma. As rugged-looking as the current 4Runner is, the new one takes things even further by giving the SUV more creases, more fender well bulges, and more visual drama. Underneath all of it more off-road goodness. It looks like Sequoia and a Tacoma had a baby, and that baby looks better than both of its parents. We especially love the side window behind the C-pillar that nods to the one on the first-generation 4Runner.
The 2025 4Runner will get several trim levels: SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, TRD Pro, and the new Trailhunter and Platinum models. The standard 4Runner engine comes directly from the new Tacoma, a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder good for 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft. of torque. It gets mated to a new eight-speed automatic. While the Tacoma is available with a 6-speed manual transmission, the 4Runner is not.
The second mill is Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, a turbo-four with a 48-hp electric motor that total 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque, also mated to an eight-speed slushbox. The V6 is, unsurprisingly, no more. This more potent and more efficient hybrid powertrain will be optional on the TRD Off-Road and Limited trim levels and standard on the TRD Pro, Trailhunter, and Platinum trims. Buyers can choose their 4runner with rear-wheel drive, part-time four-wheel drive, or full-time four-wheel-drive. The TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter get electronic locking differentials. There's also a Multi-Terrain Select system that works while using 4WD High and 4WD Low.
The 4Runner Trailhunter Elevates Off-Road Goodness
The biggest news with the new 4Runner is the introduction of the Trailhunter trim level. It's one of two new trim levels for the model, including the top-tier Platinum version that's more luxury-minded than it is rough-and-tumble. If the Trailhunter name sounds familiar, it was introduced with the debut of the new Tacoma pickup truck. The 4Runner Trailhunter one-ups the TRD Pro when it comes to overland-friendliness.
The Trailhunter gets a 2.5-inch lift via Old Man Emu (OME) forged shocks, 33-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires (increasing ride height 2 inches in front and 1.5 in back), rock rails and high-strength steel skid plates, an A-pillar-mounted snorkel, a 20-inch light bar with color-selectable fog lights, a 2,400-watt AC inverter with outlets, auxiliary switches for add-ons, and a black ARB roof rack. Finally, the Trailhunter also provides an onboard air compressor in the cargo area. That's a lot of extras that make the Trailhunter the rugged top dog.
On the downside, we have to mention that the KDSS automatically disconnecting stabilizer bars are no longer available on the 4Runner (whereas they were present on the 2023 4Runner TRD Off-Road). In its place is a new manually disconnecting stabilizer bar that can be had on both the TRD and Trailhunter trim levels. While this doesn't detract from the appeal of the Trailhunter, the automatic versions might draw buyers away from the 4Runner over to the new Lexus GX Overtrail trim, the only Toyota model that has them now.
The Interior it Deserves
It's hard to think of a more antiquated cabin than the one in the current 4Runner. Yes, we kinda love it because it's no-brainer old-school, and it will last forever, but it looks like a Tonka truck interior now. The new 4Runner finally gets a cabin that's up to snuff with the times. It's pretty much the same version found in the Tacoma, and you can even get an upgraded 14-inch touchscreen mounted atop the dash. There's also a 7-inch instrument cluster display on lower trims and a larger 12.3-inch cluster on higher trim levels. Wireless charging is standard on higher trim levels.
We're sure the quality of the materials is very good, and the aesthetic between TRD/Trailhunter trims and Platinum will be quite stark in terms of materials and looks, while the shapes remain largely the same inside, meaning very blocky. TRD trim levels will have a flat bottom steering wheel, Alcantara, and raised TOYOTA lettering on the dash. We love the traditional shift knob, the chunky grab bar for the front passenger, and the big physical knobs for climate and audio on the center stack. Thank you, Toyota, for not pushing everything to the touchscreen.
The 4Runner will, thankfully, still have the power roll-down rear window for longer items. The addition of optional third-row seating makes the 4Runner even more appealing. That nifty third row is, unfortunately, not available on 4Runners with the hybrid powertrain due to the location of the battery where the third row would normally be.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner will hit showrooms in the fall of 2024, and pricing and fuel economy numbers will be announced closer to that time. We can't wait to check it out ourselves for a full review.
Get a Good Deal on the Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is built like a tank and will last forever. Read our review.
2022 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 TRD Sport Review
