The 4Runner may be one of the oldest models in the Toyota line-up but it’s about to become one of the freshest, the Japanese automaker giving the 6th-generation SUV a complete makeover for 2025. The new model year brings not only an updated design but a new hybrid drivetrain and new Platinum and off-road-focused Trailhunter trims. Here’s a closer look at the new SUV.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner shares the same, underlying body-on-frame platform as the recently redesigned Tacoma pickup.
It’s been a long run. The current version of the Toyota 4Runner has been around for a full 15 years, a surprising length of time for an automaker that typically delivers all-new versions of its product line-up in half that stretch.
The 6th-generation Toyota 4Runner is finally set to roll into U.S. showrooms and what the automaker has come up with should make potential buyers say it was worth the wait.
There’s almost nothing that Toyota’s designers and engineers haven’t touched in the process of giving the 2025 4Runner its makeover. But they begin with a platform that has already shown its potential, the underlying TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture already in use for the new Tacoma pickup and Land Cruiser SUVs that Toyota rolled out for 2024.
What’s new for 2025
Some of the biggest upgrades can be found in the cabin. The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited, shown here, features a 14.0-inch infotainment screen.
As one would obviously expect, the new SUV gets a substantial design update – though you’ll have no problem recognizing what you see, even from a distance.
Inside, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner gets a much more substantial design re-do. It’s decidedly more modern in appearance than the outgoing SUV, as you’d expect considering all the technological updates we’ve seen over the past 15 years. To start with, some trim packages now feature a 14.0-inch infotainment display and, across the line-up, welcome tech touches include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There are two new trim packages: the upscale Platinum and off-road-ready Trailhunter. All told, the 2025 SUV will offer buyers a choice of nine grades.
One of the most substantial developments for 2025, however, comes with the introduction of a new, 2.4-liter turbo-four i-Force engine. With the launch of this package gives Toyota’s latest SUV a choice of engines that are both powerful and fuel-efficient.
Bigger, more powerful – and more fuel-efficient
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner will be offered with two powertrain options, including the iForce Max Hybrid shown here.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner grows 194.9 inches in total length, with a wheelbase of 112.2 inches. Base models now have a width of 77.8 inches, though both the Trailhunter and TRD packages are wider than the SR5. That makes room for their off-road suspension packages and larger tires.
Depending upon the trim package, Toyota is offering two powertrain options this year:
- A base iForce 2.4-liter turbo-four engine making 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, Depending on the package it delivers up to 26 mpg City, 20 Highway and 24 Combined;
- The new iForce Max hybrid bumps the numbers up to 326 hp and 465 lb-ft. while still delivering 24 mpg Highway, 23 City and 23 Combined, according to the EPA.
With its 1.87 kWh lithium-ion battery, the gas-electric drivetrain gets a low-RPM bump in torque which should help in rock-crawling conditions. It’s also expected to be more fuel-efficient than the base engine, though Toyota has yet to release official mileage numbers.
Both engines are paired to an 8-speed automatic and can be ordered in two-wheel-drive, as well as part-time or full-time all-wheel-drive. Both powertrains can tow up to 6,000 pounds.
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New Trailhunter package
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner will be offered with a choice of nine grades, including the new Trailhunter trim shown here.
All told, there will be nine different grades available on the sixth-generation Toyota 4Runner, from the base SR5 to the top-line Limited package. New for 2025 is the Trailhunter – a badge Toyota is rolling out for a variety of models specifically targeting those looking to do some serious rock crawling.
While it may sound like Toyota is duplicating effort, there are some distinct differences between the new Trailhunter and the familiar TRD Pro and TRD Off-Road trims, according to 4Runner Chief Engineer Sheldon Brown. “TRD Pro is (meant to) go fast. Trailhunter is meant to go slow,” he explains.
Put another way, the TRD Pro is intended for handling Baja-style conditions where you’re looking to move as quickly as possible. It’s lighter, giving up a bit of underbody protection in the process. And it relies on suspension upgrades like Fox shocks to take a pounding when you blast across moguls and the occasional jump.
By comparison, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter is aimed at those headed out for some rock-crawling and who are more likely to “load up” with the sort of gear they might take on extended overland adventures, explained Brown, such as roof racks and roof campers. To absorb that punishment, Trailhunter gets full underbody protection, including rock rails and opts for Old Man Emu shocks. The 33-inch tires add two inches of ground clearance up front and 1.5 inches in the rear.
Add a 2,400 watt AC inverter, Rigid LED foglights
Toyota Brand Boss David Christ shown during the reveal of the sixth-generation Toyota 4Runner earlier this year.
Platinum pushes into the luxury market
Even as rising prices have driven many budget buyers out of the new vehicle market, many other buyers are opting up with ever more luxurious packages.
Depending upon the trim, base 4Runner models get a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and an 8-inch infotainment display. Higher-end packages come with a 12.3-inch gauge cluster and 14-inch touchscreen. 4Runner Platinum adds a variety of distinctive touches, starting with black-finished exterior styling elements. Inside, it gets leather seating and more soft-touch details. The front seats are heated and cooled and the outboard seats in the second row are heated.
And the Platinum edition adds an upgraded audio system, a standard tow package, rain-sensing wipers and a Head-Up Display.
A variety of other new tech features are available, depending upon trim, including a Digital Key. All versions feature the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 package of advanced driver assistance systems. Additional ADAS technology, including Blind Spot Monitoring, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, are optional, depending upon the trim.
Pricing and availability
When Toyota first announced the long-awaited 2025 4Runner package last spring it had hoped to bring it to market by autumn. As it turns out, the redesigned SUV won’t make it into showrooms until this coming January.
Pricing starts at $40,770 for the base SR5 package. At the upper end, the 4Runner 4×4 TRD Pro with the i-Force Max hybrid pushes up to a starting $66,900. The 4×4 Trailhunter alternative carries the same price tax. The 4Runner 4×4 Platinum with that turbo-hybrid starts at $62,860.
Add $1,450 to all trims for delivery fees.
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