All New 6th Generation 4Runner Spotted!

New Spy photos of what appears to be a 6th gen 4Runner published originally by Car and Driver HERE on Feb 7, 2024 have us thinking, after 14 years of production the current 5th Generation Toyota 4Runner might be nearing the end of its production cycle.

Just last week a test mule of what is speculated to be the all new 2025 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner was spotted near a Toyota Research and Development plant in Michigan. This has gotten us thinking of what the new 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner will look like and what features it will have when it debuts hopefully later this year.

What We Know

We do know there will be a 6th generation 4Runner. This was put into speculation when Toyota surprised us with the return of the Toyota Land Cruiser early last year with many people fearing it would take the place of the 4Runner in Toyota’s lineup of off road SUV’s. This however, is not the case and sources close to us as well as these recent spy shots all but confirm a new 4Runner is in the works.

Powertrain

Power is most likely going to come from the same 2.4L turbo inline 4 cylinder engine and 8 speed transmission that is in the 2024 Toyota Tacoma with the option to pair it to an electric motor. We expect power to be the same as well, starting at 228 horsepower and 243 lb ft of torque for the base turbo 4 cylinder engine all the way up to 326 horsepower and 465 lb ft of torque in the top of the line I-Force Max hybrid engine. This has previously worried Toyota enthusiasts about the reliability of the hybrid engine or the turbo lag of the non electrified variant but as reviews of this new powertrain make there way online the general consensus is these engines are just as good if not better than the current 3.5 liter v6 in the current model. The torque of this new engine comes in much earlier at only 1700rpm and fuel efficiency is up to 21 miles per gallon combined on the Tacoma. We would hopefully see similar numbers on the new 4Runner with this drivetrain which is an improvement over the current 17 mpg combined for the 2024 model.

As well as the 4Runner carrying over the same engine as the all new Tacoma it is speculated it will carry the same 8 speed automatic. The current 6 speed automatic transmission has commonly been criticized as being the weakest part of the current 4Runner due to its issue of “gear hunting” while driving up hills or driving at altitude. The new 8 speed automatic seems to have eliminated this issue while also being able to keep the rpms in a place where the turbo can stay pressurized therefore eliminating the turbo lag. It would be a welcomed improvement to a platform that has done so well in every other area of the off road SUV segment. 

Trim Levels 

The 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner will most likely carry over the trim levels of the 5th Generation model starting with the base SR5 model. From there you will have the Trail Special Edition, TRD Sport, SR5 Premium, TRD Off Road, TRD Off Road Premium, Limited, and TRD Pro. The TRD Off Road will look to be the most value for your money model offered and will include features like a locking rear differential, A-Trac, downhill assist control, and possibly the sway bar disconnect feature that is currently on the 4th Generation Tacoma.

Will It Include Retro Styling?

There are many things speculated about what the new 6th generation 4Runner might include. One theory that has gained a lot of popularity recently is that the new 4Runner may bring back a feature from the 1st generation 4Runner. That feature is the removable hard top roof. Speculation for this is fueled by the fact that the new Toyota Land Cruiser is now the same size and only slightly more expensive than the outgoing 4Runner. Rumor is Toyota will now pivot the 4Runner to be more competitive with the very popular Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Will this be the case with the new 4Runner? Only time will tell. From what we can see from the latest spy shots on the new 4Runner testing in Michigan we can’t see anything that would confirm or deny that they will add a removable top to the new 4Runner. Something we can tell from these spy shots though is that it looks like the new 4Runner will not bring back the spare tire swing out that was a feature on the 2nd generation model.

Conclusion 

We are very excited to see that the all new 6th generation Toyota 4Runner is finally out being tested. We should hopefully be seeing teaser images on the Toyota USA instagram account in the coming months with a full reveal of the new 2025 4Runner by the end of year. There is still so much about this new model that we don’t know about but we do know if it's anything like the new Tacoma it will be very capable off-road and easy to build into the perfect overland rig. With so many features still up in the air about the new Toyota 4Runner what things are you most excited for? Would you want to see a removable hard top on the new 4Runner? Would you trade in your current 4Runner for the new one? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and if you’re looking to upgrade your current 4Runner be sure to check out our website for anything and everything Toyota 4Runner!