Key Takeaways

• The highly anticipated 2024 Toyota 4Runner will be an unbeatable mid-size SUV with a revamped design language and upgraded performance, including the i-Force Max engine.
• The next-gen 4Runner is expected to launch by late 2024 as a 2025 model, following the release of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
• The 2024 4Runner will feature a new hybrid engine, the i-Force Max, which will make it highly competitive against rivals like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.

After more than a decade in the market, fans of the current generation of the Toyota 4Runner are definitely aching for a successor. The redesigned legend is destined to arrive by the end of 2024 or early 2025 as the 2024 Toyota 4Runner. We say this with surety since the all-new Toyota Tacoma pickup truck is already slated for deliveries later this year. The 4Runner SUV will launch after the Tacoma.

UPDATE: 2023/09/16 08:51 EST BY SIMRAN RASTOGI

Toyota is finally giving its 4Runner off-road SUV a much-needed generational upgrade with the 2024 4Runner. The current 13-year-old fifth-generation 4Runner has not lost its charm, but the competition has evolved by leaps and bounds. We have updated this article with the latest information on the much-anticipated redesigned Toyota 4Runner, including the new hybrid engine and how it'll look.

When the new off-roader breaks cover, the 2024 Toyota 4Runner will be an unbeatable mid-size SUV. Among the vast array of Toyota SUVs, the 4Runner is special because it is one of the coolest and most capable off-road SUVs out there. The next-gen 4Runner will flaunt a similar design language as the new Tundra pickup truck and Sequoia full-size SUV. The performance will get a major revamp as well, with the famed i-Force Max engine making its way to the all-new 4Runner as well.

Related: Here's Why You Won't Regret Saving Up For The 2025 Toyota 4Runner

When Will The Next-Gen Toyota 4Runner Launch?

The current generation of the Toyota 4Runner has been in the market since late 2009 (as a 2010 model). Production of previous generations of the mid-size SUV never went beyond seven years, making the current-gen 4Runner ancient. For the past several years, the Japanese carmaker was keeping the SUV as fresh as possible by revising its exterior and interior, as well as by offering special edition models.

Many people expected the arrival of the next-gen SUV this year as a 2023 model. However, when Toyota revealed the 2023 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition, it was showcased on the good-old fifth-gen platform. Thus, 4Runner fans had to delay their expectations and set their eyes on the arrival of the next-gen 4Runner next year as a 2025 model by late 2024.

Recently redesigned launches like the Sequoia and Tundra give us hints on what to expect from the all-new 4Runner. And it will also most likely share the hybrid engine that is set to be used in the new 2024 Tacoma pickup truck. Based on these clues, the all-new Toyota 4Runner will be an unbeatable SUV.

Related: The Evolution Of The Toyota 4Runner: From Classic To Modern SUV

What The New 4Runner Will Look Like

Some of Toyota's more recent next-gen models are the Tundra pickup truck and Sequoia SUV. Both are sitting on the TNGA-F platform and feature a hybrid powertrain. Toyota gave both vehicles an all-new yet pertinent appearance, especially on the front end. Both the Tundra and the Sequoia don a wide, massive hexagonal grille, making them look tougher and more dynamic on the road.

With a decade-old appearance, the current Toyota 4Runner is somehow failing to appeal to customers. It could move to the same platform as the Tundra and Sequoia and, at the same time, borrow their more muscular looks. The mid-size SUV, in particular, would wear the new hexagonal grille on its front section.

Since seeing is much better than imagining, this exclusive render from our in-house graphic artist Rotislav Prokop might help in visualizing the looks of the 2024 4Runner. His imagination of the 4Runner borrows elements from the new Tundra and Sequoia, although in a more aggressive manner.

The all-new Toyota 4Runner interior will also be heavily influenced by the redesigned interiors seen in the 2023 Tundra full-size pickup and the three-row 2023 Sequoia SUV. The quality of materials will see a major jump, and technology features will be bleeding edge. The next-gen 4Runner might get the 14-inch infotainment screen seen on the Tundra pickup. It will pack all the latest connectivity features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Related: The Redesigned 2024 Toyota 4Runner Is Coming: Here's What To Expect

Will The 2024 Toyota 4Runner Be Hybrid?

Toyota equipped the Sequoia with the i-Force MAX V6 hybrid powertrain, which combines a 3.4-liter V-6 engine with an electric motor. Optional for the Tundra, the i-Force MAX may see duty on the 2024 4Runner. In these applications, the hybrid unit delivers 437 hp of output and 583 lb-ft of torque. In the 2024 Tacoma, the four-cylinder i-Force Max hybrid delivers 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. This spec is more likely for the new 4Runner but anything's possible.

Currently leading the pack of mid-size off-road SUVs are the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and its 4xe version. But a 4Runner with the i-Force MAX will be unbeatable. The 2024 4Runner can pack more power and torque than the Ford Bronco and deliver more torque than the Wrangler Rubicon. Because the 4Runner hybrid has more torque, it could pack impressive towing capabilities.

With the i-Force MAX hybrid unit, the 2024 4Runner should offer greater levels of efficiency. Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe is also efficient, but its 375 hp of output and 470 lb-ft of torque seem pale compared to that of the 4Runner if it goes with the hybrid V6. The 2024 4Runner won’t be just a game-changer, but a mid-size SUV that is a force to be reckoned with.

Being the Sequoia’s little sibling, the 2024 4Runner should also come in several grades; possibly the well-equipped SR5, the convenient Limited, the premium Platinum, the adventure-tuned TRD Pro, and the extra-luxurious Capstone. Each grade boasts its own distinct look and feel, but all with the benefit of hybrid power and off-road capabilities.

Source: Toyota