Prior to the public unveiling at 7:15 pm Pacific Daylight Time, the peeps at Forbes published – then immediately took down – their story on the 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Big ouchie, but it is what it is.
Everyone and their dog expected Tacoma styling cues for the body-on-frame sport utility vehicle, which soldiers on with three-row seating. The Land Cruiser 250 series, better known as Prado, is a two-row affair in the United States market. Also worthy of note, 2025 Toyota 4Runner is available with the Land Cruiser 250's turbocharged four-pot hybrid.
The 2.4-liter engine develops the very same 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet (430 Nm) of torque as the Tacoma with the eight-speed automatic transmission. As for the i-FORCE MAX hybrid, the numbers are 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet (630 Nm). Obviously enough, the electric drive unit is integrated in the torque-converter automatic tranny.
According to Forbes, towing capacity now stands at 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms) compared to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) for the fifth-gen 4Runner. That's exactly the same as the Land Cruiser 250, whereas the V6-powered Lexus GX 550 is advertised with 8,000 pounds (3,629 kilograms).
Rear-wheel drive is joined by a part-time 4WD system and a full-time 4WD system. Both use a two-speed transfer case. Four-wheel-drive versions feature an automatic limited-slip differential, while off-road versions further sweeten the deal with an electronic locking differential for the rear axle.
Photo: Toyota via 4Runner6G via Forbes
A front stabilizer bar disconnect for increased articulation also needs to be mentioned. Picked up by our friends at the 4Runner6G forum, the cited story on the 2025 Toyota 4Runner also reveals that a locking center differential is optional for the Limited and standard for the Platinum. Longer than its predecessor by 4.7 inches (119.4 millimeters) in length and 2.4 inches (61 millimeters) in wheelbase, the sixth-generation 4Runner is eclipsed by its forerunner in one particular area.
Due to longer overhangs, both the approach and departure angles have been degraded to 32 and 24 degrees from the fifth gen's 33 and 26 degrees. Just like the Tacoma, the 4Runner has gained a Trailhunter grade for rock crawling. The TRD Pro is more at home bashing dunes, whereas the TRD Off-Road can do both to a lesser degree than the TRD Pro and the all-new-for-2025 Trailhunter.
Trailhunter stands out from other grades by means of a high-mount air intake mounted along the passenger-side A pillar, an ARB roof rack, a bronze-finished front grille, a 20-inch light bar, and 2.5-inch forged shocks from Old Man Emu, with the rear shocks boasting remote reservoirs. Other goodies include a 2400-watt inverter, steel skid plates, rock rails, as well as 33-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrain rubber.
It goes without saying that the cockpit has plenty in common with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, starting with the design of the steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, and infotainment system. The tailgate window can be lowered, which is a very nice touch and a nod to the fifth generation.
That said, pricing information has yet to be revealed. Considering that the 2025 model will go on sale in the fall, expect pricing information to drop in late summer 2024 or early fall 2024.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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