Photo: jlord8 / Instagram
Just recently, Toyota came full circle on its mid-size endeavors in America with the announcement of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner coming to market later this year during the fall season.
It all started with the arrival of the N400 Tacoma, the next iteration of the pickup truck segment's best-seller. It was followed by the 2024 Lexus GX 550 with the modular TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture, a 349-hp turbo V6 under the hood, and the looks plus features to warrant the $64,250 starting price. Naturally, the J250 Toyota Land Cruiser didn't wait for an extra invitation and brought its iconic self back to the United States along with heritage styling, Tacoma's 326-hp hybrid powertrain, and a $56k starting MSRP.
Now the team is complete because Toyota finally gives us a new generation of the old-school 4Runner off-road SUV with lots of cues taken from Tacoma, up to seven seats, the roll-down rear window, and both the i-Force (278 hp, eight-speed auto) and i-Force Max (326 hp hybrid) powertrains from the mid-size pickup truck sibling. We don't know the pricing details just yet, but it will surely be more expensive than the $31,500 Tacoma. However, not everything was rosy.
For example, a lot of folks asked on social media during the short and sweet teaser campaign for Toyota to give the 4Runner an option worthy of its direct rivals, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco – a removable top and/or a soft-top option. That doesn't seem to be the case here, but at least the TRD Pro is joined by the all-new Trailhunter overland-style variant to compete against the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Ford Bronco Wildtrak.
Naturally, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner has been – and it feels like it's been ages – a darling of the rumor mill and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators before its official reveal. The latter continues to hold it in high regard even afterward, complete with initial aftermarket wheel ideas and more extreme transformations. Speaking of the latter, Jim, the virtual artist better known as jlord8 on social media, loves messing around with all things CGI from the automotive world, usually from the Big Detroit Three.
But the 4Runner was this week's most important novelty, so he couldn't just ignore it. Not at all, in fact. Instead, the pixel master answered a different kind of fan prayer – his hypothetical design project involves cutting down a couple of doors off the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter and turning it into a 3-door rival for the short-wheelbase Wrangler and Bronco. So, what do you think – would this be your favorite, at least as an homage to the 3-door first generation 4Runner (note the retro wheels)?
Now the team is complete because Toyota finally gives us a new generation of the old-school 4Runner off-road SUV with lots of cues taken from Tacoma, up to seven seats, the roll-down rear window, and both the i-Force (278 hp, eight-speed auto) and i-Force Max (326 hp hybrid) powertrains from the mid-size pickup truck sibling. We don't know the pricing details just yet, but it will surely be more expensive than the $31,500 Tacoma. However, not everything was rosy.
For example, a lot of folks asked on social media during the short and sweet teaser campaign for Toyota to give the 4Runner an option worthy of its direct rivals, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco – a removable top and/or a soft-top option. That doesn't seem to be the case here, but at least the TRD Pro is joined by the all-new Trailhunter overland-style variant to compete against the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Ford Bronco Wildtrak.
Naturally, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner has been – and it feels like it's been ages – a darling of the rumor mill and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators before its official reveal. The latter continues to hold it in high regard even afterward, complete with initial aftermarket wheel ideas and more extreme transformations. Speaking of the latter, Jim, the virtual artist better known as jlord8 on social media, loves messing around with all things CGI from the automotive world, usually from the Big Detroit Three.
But the 4Runner was this week's most important novelty, so he couldn't just ignore it. Not at all, in fact. Instead, the pixel master answered a different kind of fan prayer – his hypothetical design project involves cutting down a couple of doors off the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter and turning it into a 3-door rival for the short-wheelbase Wrangler and Bronco. So, what do you think – would this be your favorite, at least as an homage to the 3-door first generation 4Runner (note the retro wheels)?
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