Posted on the Toyota USA Instagram account, the image shows part of the new 4Runner’s rear, including most of the rear bumper, part of the liftgate, part of the taillights and the large “4Runner” badge relocated to below the license plate holder. There’s not a lot more to glean from the image, though it does look very similar to the new Land Cruiser, with much more angular styling than the outgoing fifth-gen 4Runner. The new 4Runner also appears to wear Toyota’s Heritage Blue paint, a color that isn’t currently available on the fifth-gen model but is on the Land Cruiser, where it’s part of a two-tone paint scheme.
Hybrid 4Runner?
The outgoing 4Runner has a tried-and-true but old and inefficient 4.0-liter V-6 as its sole engine option, paired to one of the last five-speed automatic transmissions still for sale in a new vehicle in the U.S., and there’s almost no way that combination survives into a new generation of vehicle. As Toyota moves towards electrification of most of its vehicle lineup, it seems likely the next 4Runner will have a hybridized powertrain.
Whether that means an exclusively hybrid vehicle, gas and hybrid choices, or something else is unknown. Toyota has a bevy of hybrid powertrains to choose from, including Hybrid Max options that deliver both relative efficiency and power. The Land Cruiser comes standard with a 326-horsepower hybrid powertrain, so the 4Runner’s could be less than that to better differentiate the SUVs.
The current 4Runner is available in either two- or three-row configurations, but the new Land Cruiser is exclusively a two-row SUV. Will Toyota downsize the 4Runner to better compete with the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco and not step on the toes of the Land Cruiser or larger Sequoia?
If Toyota does downsize this generation of 4Runner, it presumably will have a somewhat lower price, or at least a narrower price range. Currently, the top trim of the 4Runner, the TRD Pro off-roader, is priced similarly to the base Land Cruiser; Toyota might benefit from clearer differentiation in its lineup.
The new 4Runner will likely use a version of Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame vehicle platform, which underpins the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks, as well as the Land Cruiser and Sequoia SUVs.
