The wait is finally over. The 2025 Toyota 4Runner has finally been uncovered and made public for all to see. It’s not like it was a secret as Toyota has been teasing us with it for some time. And to be honest, they’re pretty predictable so the new 4Runner brings really no surprises other than it’s all-new.
Styling obviously plays the Tacoma card in its overall flavor and detail with muscular forms that are aggressive, bold and let’s just be honest – overtly masculine. It’s not exactly the same but continues the traditions which have made it popular like its roll down rear window for your dog to hang out of and a more truck-like vibe than the sea of mom-jeans crossovers that have permeated our world.
Based on the same TNGA-F body-on-frame bones as the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Land Cruiser and the larger Tundra and Sequoia it has grown in size just slightly. Wheelbase is 2.4-inches longer now at 112.2-inches, length increases by 4.7-inches to 194.9 and it gets exactly 2-inches wider.
Those dimensions in fact make it exactly the same size as the new Land Cruiser. So what’s the difference between the two of the besides styling and price? Mechanically speaking it’s virtually identical with exception that it has a solid axle rear suspension with five-link setup from the Tacoma where the Land Cruiser has a fully independent rear suspension.
A dizzying array of nine, count them nine trim grades will be available for 2025 starting with the SR5 then TRD Sport, TRD Sport Premium, TRD Off Road, TRD Off Road Premium, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter.
Powering the 2025 4Runner are the same exact powertrains that come with the 2024 Tacoma including a standard 2.4-liter turbo four with 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque and 8-speed automatic transmission. This engine is standard on SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited.
Available in either 2WD or part-time 4WD this represents a huge step up from the old 4.0-liter V6 and 5-speed auto not so much in horsepower but torque and increased gears that allow more opportunities for that engine to be in its power curve sweet spot.
Then of course there’s the optional hybridized variant which adds a 48 horsepower electric motor between the engine and eight-speed transmission along with a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack. This bumps power up to 326 ponies and the highest ever 465 pound-feet of torque. It’s optional on TRD Off-Road and Limited but standard on TRD Pro, Trailhunter and Platinum.
Both new powertrains along with a significantly upgraded full-box ladder frame bring towing capacity up to 6,000 pounds. As mentioned 4Runner comes standard in 2WD on lower trims with an automatic limited-slip rear differential.
4Runners with part-time 4WD have an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case with high/low range and the brake and software actuated Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) in addition to the automatic limited-slip rear differential.
For those stepping up to the top off-road TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro and Trailhunter grades there is a driver controllable electronic locking rear differential. A more luxury oriented full-time four-wheel-drive system with a center locking differential is available on Limited and standard on Platinum.
A number of new goodies for the off-roader are available too. A new available Stabilizer Bar Disconnect allows for better articulation in the deep crazy. The Multi-Terrain Select system now works in both 4WD-High and 4WD-Low too.
For those who have used the noisy jittery CRAWL Control they’ve also made this quieter too. Top metrics available are 9.2-inches of ground clearance, a 32-degree approach and a 24-degree departure angle.
While most of the trim grades are familiar if you’ve been into the 4Runner before, the Trailhunter and Platinum are new. Like the Trailhunter for Tacoma, this trim grade offers up a more sophisticated overlanding theme with hardware tailored to that buyer.
You get cool bits like ARB Old Man Emu 2.5-inch dampers, high-mount air intake and ARB Roof Rack. These along with 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires add 2-inches of lift at the front and 1.5-inches at the rear. There’s a lot more doo-dads added into the mix too, but these are the highlights.
Platinum on the other hand takes Limited way up and farther in the luxury sense with elevated interior trims, features and technology along with a number of stylistic trim treatments throughout that give it a flavor all its own.
And that gets us to the interior which looks kind of familiar if you’ve seen the inside of the new Tacoma, though it’s got a number of detail elements unique. It’s set up to offer all of the digital displays that we’ve been seeing across the board in today’s market as well all the newest connected technologies.
What hasn’t changed is the rugged versatility that 4Runner is expected to offer up with daily living with it provisions for gear and getting dirty. The second-row seats still get out of the way and there is still a third-row seating option though it’s still not the roomiest, it can be there if you want it.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner will arrive stateside in the fall of 2024 with pricing to be announced along with all the other specs you didn’t from me in this video closer to that time. The word stateside I just voiced does indicate that the 4Runner will continue to be built in Japan which will be music to many of the die-hard enthusiast’s ears.
