Key Takeaways

• Toyota is preparing to release the 6th generation of the popular 4Runner SUV, which will feature updates inspired by the company's new lineup of SUVs and trucks.
• The 2025 4Runner is expected to get a new engine, potentially also the iForce hybrid found in the new Tacoma, resulting in impressive performance and improved fuel efficiency.
• The interior of the all-new 4Runner will receive a major upgrade, with better quality materials, a larger infotainment system, and modern connectivity options, similar to the 2024 Tacoma. Expect a launch by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

The extremely popular Toyota 4Runner is nearing the end of its life cycle with the current 5th-generation model, which has been around for over a decade! Despite its immense capability and being a well-rounded package, the Toyota 4Runner has started to show its age in the face of new competition, most notably the 2023 Jeep Wrangler and 2023 Ford Bronco, to name a few.

Importantly, Toyota has already begun to update its SUV and truck portfolio in North America with new generation models. The 2023 model year Toyota Tundra and Sequoia are the most recent examples. The all-new 2024 Tacoma pickup also broke cover recently, and it gives us a lot of clues on what to expect from the sixth-gen 4Runner off-road-ready SUV. We expect the all-new 2025 4Runner to arrive in its much-awaited 6th-generation avatar with similar updates.

Going by what we have seen on the latest generation of Toyota's SUVs and trucks, our expectations for the 2025 4Runner redesign are pretty high. Also, going by the nostalgic route that Toyota has taken with the radical new 2024 Land Cruiser for America, it would be wholesome to see the Japanese automaker honor the all-new 4runners with classic design cues.

Updated September 2023: We've updated this article with the latest information on the 2025 Toyota 4Runner's launch date and likely engines on offer, like a downsized turbo inline-4 and the inclusion of the highly anticipated i-Force Max hybrid, similar to the one seen in the new 2024 Tacoma pickup truck.

2025 Toyota 4Runner Engine & Performance: Hybrid Is The Way Ahead

The current generation of the Toyota 4Runner gets its power from a 4.0-liter, naturally-aspirated V6 engine. This motor, the only one on offer, makes 270 horsepower along with 278 lb-ft of torque.

Unfortunately, though competent and reliable, this engine, paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission, is outdated. In addition, its fuel-efficiency figures are lower than its competition. The EPA figures of the current-gen Tacoma are 16 MPG in the city and 19 MPG on the highway, with a combined 17 MPG.

We expect the 2025 Toyota 4Runner to be underpinned by the TNGA-F architecture, which underpins the 2023 Tundra and the 2023 Sequoia, among others. It will be notably modified for the 4Runner, just like how Toyota tweaked this platform for the 2024 Tacoma pickup truck. With this, it will also get a new engine, which it will likely share with the new Tacoma as well.

Earlier, we were under the impression that it would probably be the twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 engine that also includes Toyota's new i-FORCE MAX hybrid engine. In the Tundra and Sequoia, this hybrid V6 packs a combined 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard.

But the unveiling of the new 2024 Tacoma changes all of it. It packs a new 2.4-liter turbocharged line-4, the same motor that is found in the new Toyota Crown. In the base trims, the new Tacoma churns out 228 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. But we are going to bet on the 2025 4Runner getting the iForce hybrid found in the new Tacoma. This iForce 2.4-liter hybrid engine churns out a combined 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque in the Tacoma. We expect the 2025 4Runner to also have both these engine options, with the top-spec trims packing the hybrid 326-hp four cylinders.

It will likely have better performance figures than the fifth-gen Tacoma's 4.0-liter V6. Not only this, but we also expect fuel-efficiency figures to improve drastically. Elevating its off-roading prowess, the 6th generation 4Runner will also very likely continue to offer a part-time 4WD system, similar to the newly redesigned wave of Toyota SUVs and pickups.

It will likely get enhanced off-road capabilities thanks to its updated modular body-on-frame platform. Additional electronic equipment like Toyota's MTS and Crawl Control, the 'TRD Pro' trim of this SUV, will also receive updates in sync with the new generation model on which it will be based.

A 2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter Overlander Will Be Drool-Worthy

The 2024 Tacoma trim level that got the most attention is the new Trailhunter Hybrid. This factory Overlanding pickup truck is essentially a Tacoma TRD Pro on loads of custom parts to explore the great unknown.

It gets souped-up 2.5-inch Old Man Emu monotube shocks, specific 18-inch Trailhunter wheels wrapped with 33-inch Goodyear Territory R/T tires, frame-mounted rock rails, ARB steel bumpers, a bed utility bar, and loads of auxiliary LED lighting. The cool parts list doesn't end there, as it also gets an integrated high-output air compressor,12V DC and USB-C charging ports, and a pumped-up JBL sound system.

The All-New 2025 4Runner Interior Will Be A Massive Upgrade

The current generation of the Toyota 4Runner has been around for quite some time, almost a decade. In this period, it has undergone several updates. In each of these updates, Toyota tried to give this SUV the required features to be at par with the competition. Though decently equipped, the cabin of the 4Runner has now started to show its age.

The materials and the switchgear are from an era bygone, while the infotainment, though equipped with the latest connectivity options, feels in need of an upgrade. Just like its chassis and powertrain, the upcoming 4Runner will also get an interior that will be inspired by that of the new Sequoia and the Tundra. But it can share a lot of the 2024 Tacoma interior components.

Based on this, we expect the new version of this mid-size SUV from Toyota to feature better quality materials on its dashboard and door panels and get premium upholstery in higher grades. In addition, we expect the 6th generation of the 4Runner to get a bigger infotainment system, possibly the 14-inch unit seen on the 2024 Tacoma, with modern connectivity options in wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay.

The current TRD Pro grade of the 4Runner comes with surround view cameras for easier navigation on off-road trails. Thanks to their low resolution, the feed relayed inside the cabin through the infotainment screen is inferior - the new model should improve on this front as well.

Here's When Toyota Will Release A Redesigned 4Runner SUV?

While Toyota hasn't officially announced dates for the debut of the next-generation 4Runner, we expect it to be Toyota's next "surprise" after the debut of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma. There have been steady upgrades of its other trucks and SUVs like the bold-new US-specific Toyota Land Cruiser, Tundra, and Sequoia to the newer TNGA-F platform. As the carmaker further improves fuel efficiency, performance, and sustainability across the range, the 4Runner will need to innovate to avoid getting left behind.

Toyota recently teased silhouette images of its upcoming 2025 Tacoma pickup truck. And we expect the all-new 4Runner to follow as well closely. If the current teasing pattern follows, then we can expect to see silhouette teases of the 2025 4Runner by the third quarter of 2024, just like the ones that Toyota gave us for the 2024 Tacoma. Expect the redesigned 2205 4Runner to launch by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

Last year, we previewed the upcoming Toyota 4Runner with the help of an exclusive HotCars render that speculates on how the model will look when it's finally unveiled to the world. You can bet that it'll look a lot like the SUV we visualized. This means it'll definitely be one tough Toyota you'd want to start saving up for.