Yahoo Autos 2025 Toyota 4Runner Is Finally Here and Appears Worth the Wait
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner lineup features two new trims—an overland-focused Trailhunter and a high-end Platinum—that join the SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro.
Most models will be powered by an i-Force 2.4-liter turbo four that makes 278 horsepower, while others get an i-Force Max hybrid with an added electric motor that ups total output to 326 horses.
Appearing more like a Tacoma SUV than it has in decades, the new 4Runner shares many exterior styling cues and interior features with the recently released pickup, while also nodding to its past.
After an impressive 15-year run, the fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner finally hands the baton to the 2025 Toyota 4Runner to kick off the model's sixth generation. The previous model's popularity hardly waned, but its time had finally come thanks to the arrival of the new crop of engines, eight-speed automatic transmission, and the TGNA-F frame and suspension architecture that recently came online with the newest Toyota Tacoma and the reintroduced Land Cruiser.
More Like a Tacoma SUV Than Ever Before
The 4Runner's new front-end styling is not a direct Tacoma carryover, but it does bear a striking resemblance. Its stance is similar too, with a wider track and three extra inches of overall body width. Like the Tacoma, much of the extra width comes from prominent fender flares that protrude farther to cover the suspension’s wider track. Many specific dimensions have not yet been released, but the Toyo Open Country AT III tires fitted to the TRD Pro and Trailhunter are sized at 265/70R-18, a sizing that translates to 33 inches tall.
Larger tires of this sort are now possible because, like the Tacoma, the 4Runner's wheelbase has been lengthened at the front to gain more body-mount clearance. Fitting larger tires to past versions of both trucks was problematic because of the relative lack of daylight in that area. For the 4Runner, this amounts to a 2.4-inch wheelbase increase (from 109.8 to 112.2 inches), which matches the new Land Cruiser, Lexus GX550, and even the Lexus LX600. Further back, the 4Runner's new styling jogs up past the rear doors in a way that makes its rear haunches appear even more muscular, while the rear side window's upper edge rolls into the roof in a way that pays homage to its first- and second-generation forebears.
Inside, the instrument cluster, center stack, and all the various buttons, switches and knobs look identical to those found in the new Tacoma, right down to the controls for the part-time four-wheel-drive transfer case (full-time on the Platinum and some versions of the Limited). The same 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is available on some trims, standard on others, and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The overall interior styling is a dead ringer too, apart from different material and color choices for the TRD Pro and Trailhunter examples we sampled. This is outstanding news, because our recent test of the Tacoma TRD Off-Road proved that this interior is thoughtfully laid out, has handy storage features, and is easy to get familiar with.
Two Familiar New Engines
Under the hood, the 2025 4Runner's base engine is the 2.4-liter i-Force, a turbocharged inline-four that makes the same 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque it does in the Tacoma. Backed solely by an eight-speed automatic, this engine will be the lone offering in the SR5 and TRD Sport and will be the base fitment in the TRD Off-Road and Limited. We were highly impressed by this setup in a recent comparison between a Tacoma TRD Off-Road and a Chevy Colorado ZR2, where the i-FORCE punched well above its weight by matching the significantly more powerful Chevy step for step and recording an identical 6.8-second 60-mph time. Meanwhile, the outgoing 4Runner's 4.0-liter V-6 produced just 270 hp and 278 pound-feet and feels lazier than that deficit suggests because of the dated five-speed automatic transmission it's hooked to. Fuel economy for the new model hasn't been revealed, but it's bound to be a leap forward from the thirsty V-6/five-speed combo.
