With the most notable thing about the 4Runner for the 2024 model year being a new paint color while a redesigned Tacoma and reborn Land Cruiser – shrunk in size and price – debuted, longtime 4Runner fans wondered if and where the off-roading-star SUV would have a place in future Toyota lineups. Well, wonder no more. Today, Toyota unveiled an all-new 4Runner for 2025, marking its sixth generation and first new one in 15 years.
You will see Tacoma and Land Cruiser comparisons mentioned frequently here, as the 2025 Toyota 4Runner shares a lot in common with them, specifically powertrains and the TNGA-F platform. However, there’s plenty of new stuff unique to the 4Runner, too.
New Additions to the Lineup
Toyota is expanding the 4Runner line from seven trims to nine, with Platinum and Trailhunter grades available for the first time. The Platinum will slot between the Limited and TRD Pro and will give buyers an option for a more premium SUV. Heated second-row seats, rain-sensing wipers, head-up display, and black exterior finishes anoint the Platinum grade.
If you were excited about the off-road chops of the TRD Pro, prepare yourself for the overlanding-oriented Trailhunter trim, which tops the lineup. The Trailhunter offers 2 extra inches of ground clearance, hardier shocks, and even comes with a discreet snorkel air intake for fording waterways or roaming dusty paths.
2025 Toyota 4Runner Powertrains
Yes, that’s powertrains, plural. The thirsty 4.0-liter V6 from the previous gen is gone and replaced by Toyota’s i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine or its i-Force Max hybrid variant of the powertrain. As with the current model, the new 4Runner will be available in rear-wheel drive or part-time or full-time 4-wheel drive.
The non-hybrid i-FORCE engine creates 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque and is connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Here again, that’s a far more modern transmission than the 5-speed still being used in today’s 4Runner. This is the standard powertrain in SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trims.
Optional for TRD Off-Road and Limited trims and standard in the TRD Pro, Trailhunter, and Platinum models is the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. This setup pairs the turbo 2.4-liter engine with a 48-hp electric motor to create a total of 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque — the most potent powertrain ever put into a production 4Runner. This setup also uses an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Both new powertrains also best the V6’s output of 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. Maximum towing capacity increases to 6,000 pounds in the 2025 4Runner — that’s 1,000 more than the prior model.
Nostalgic yet Modernized
While the new 2025 4Runner was completely rebuilt from the ground up, its exterior design has a familiar, boxy shape. It is maybe a little angrier looking in the Trailhunter trim to assert a rugged persona like its Tacoma pickup sibling. While the exterior of the new 4Runner takes extensive design cues from the Tacoma, given they were developed in parallel, it doesn’t lose the touches that make a 4Runner what it is. Everyone’s favorite feature, the roll-down rear window, remains but can also be built into an available power liftgate. Returning from earlier eras of its 40-year-plus history is what Toyota calls “wrap over” glass notched into the roofline of the rear-quarter windows, perfect for stargazing when overnighting off-trail.
Inside, the 4Runner still offers an available third row but trades the fold-flat second-row seat for seats that tumble forward, which Toyota says “helps increase interior versatility and maximizes cargo floor usage.”
Off-Road Equipment
You don’t need to climb the trim to the top of the trim ladder to see increased off-road prowess in the new 4Runner. Approach and departure angles improve to 32 and 24 degrees, respectively. Also new is an available Stabilizer Bar Disconnect Mechanism that aids suspension articulation. An optional Multi-Terrain Monitor helps the driver see and navigate the underbody around roots, rocks, and ruts.
Expanded Safety Measures
The all-new 4Runner brings the latest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system, which includes adaptive cruise control system, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and much more. Notably, this latest version of Toyota Safety Sense includes the innovative Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), which we’ve found super useful in other new Toyota models. Using the onboard camera and radar system, the technology provide gentle braking and steering inputs around curves and to maintain space between and around traffic (vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist).
2025 Toyota 4Runner Pricing and Availability
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner is set to go on sale in fall of 2024. Toyota is still keeping pricing information under wraps, but for an idea, the 2024 4Runner starts at $42,100 for the base SR5, including the destination charge. The top-of-the-line TRD Pro starts at $56,565, just below where the 2024 Land Cruiser begins at $57,345. Of course, that price range is without adding the new Platinum and Trailhunter trims, which could push the top-end 4Runner into Land Cruiser territory, even with 2025 model-year price increases.
