The current 5th-generation Toyota 4Runner first rolled off the production line in — get this — August 2009. 15 years later, Toyota finally decided to replace this stalwart in their global fleet. To guess what the all-new 6th-generation is, Tommy put it into an AI illustrator with the instruction to “design a wagon out of the new Toyota Tacoma pickup. It turns out that the points we hit on aren’t all that off the mark, according to an inside source who has the goods on what’s coming.
Time for a retro-themed Toyota 4Runner?
Call it a return to the 4Runner’s roots. The 1st-gen truck was indeed a truck, with a rear seat in the truck bed and a removable topper. The 2nd-generation was essentially the same as the Tacoma but with a steel body throughout. Engines, transmissions, seats — almost everything was shared between the Tacoma and the 4Runner. Looking out from the driver’s seat, you’d be hard-pressed to know what you were driving. Things started to deviate with the 3rd-gen, but not by much.
However, the 4th- through 5th-generation 4Runners went their own way with different engines, interiors, and sizes. You could get a V8 (a V8!) in the 4th-gen, while the 4.0-liter V6 has been the only option for the entire 15-year run of the 5th-gen.
The big question is where this new 4Runner slots into the Toyota SUV lineup. With the all-new Land Cruiser going on sale with a base MSRP in the mid-$50,000 range and the new Tacoma 4×4 starting at almost $40,000, this new 4Runner should fall somewhere in-between for a vehicle that’s so similar to a Tacoma. We’re not entirely sure if that’s enough of a price variation to push people to splurge on the Land Cruiser or whether it’ll cannibalize LC sales. Time will tell.
We’ll finally get the sixth-generation model in 2024!
We expect the new 4Runner to share the same i-Force 2.4-liter turbo 4 and 8-speed auto 4×4 system from the new Tacoma. Gone is the V6, as Toyota should save that for the new Lexus GX, and the new performance-oriented hybrid turbo 4 should be reserved for the Land Cruiser. The 4Runner’s exterior will look like a Tacoma pickup turned into an SUV from the front grill and hood, body panels, taillights, and rear end. Expect the interior to feel almost identical, as well.
One thing we wish the new 4Runner would do (okay, Tommy is the one who really wants this) is bring back the removable top, like the one introduced on the original 4Runner. Tommy makes the case that the Jeep Wrangler and the new Ford Bronco have enjoyed phenomenal success with this feature. If Toyota brought it back on the 4Runner, it would decisively separate itself from the overlanding-oriented Land Cruiser.
Our inside source shared that the new 4Runner will go on sale in fall/winter 2024, which means we can expect a press launch of the new truck sometime in early summer this year. In the meantime, check out the video below for a time-machine trip back through every generation of 4Runner, as well as Roman and Tommy’s complete thoughts on the new Toyota.
