2025 6th Gen 4Runner Spy Photos From Testing

I feel like this is a dream. Can it be? Can somebody pinch me to make sure this is real? Ouch! Thanks… HOLY SMOKES GUYS!!! It’s real! The highly anticipated 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner has FINALLY been caught testing here in the United States! We have some photos to break down in this article and also we will go over when I think we can expect this new 4R to be revealed.

The 5th Gen is going on its 14th model year this year, only seeing a few minor updates over its 15 years of production. While the 5th Gen 4R will go down as one of the best 4Runners Toyota has ever made, we 4Runner fans are looking forward to what this next generation has to offer.

Now, let’s break down these spy photos!

Check out my 6th Gen 4R Expectations post too.

Spy Photos

You have no idea how excited I am that we finally have confirmation that the 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner is actually happening. Car & Driver recently captured the testing in Ann Arbor, Michigan right outside of Toyota USA’s testing facilities. In addition to that, a similar-looking test mule was spotted in Wittmann, Arizona just several days after near Toyota’s proving grounds.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, this is just a highly camouflaged vehicle, how do we know this is the new 4Runner? Well, there are a few ways we can tell. First of all, Car and Driver is a major automotive publication. They wrote an article with some confidence that this indeed was “what they believe” the updated gen. A major publication like them does not need to clickbait their audience and degrade their credibility. In addition to this, the vehicle that they saw was accompanied by two other Toyota vehicles that were in convoy with this test mule.

The next thing to note is the Michigan license plate,Tacoma style wheels and mirrors, and that Toyota shark fin antenna. Now we will break down these photos in the next section, but the fact that Toyota and only a few other manufacturers have Michigan license plates for their test mules gives us even more evidence that this must be a 4Runner.

Lastly, both times this vehicle was spotted, it was near a Toyota testing facility, not Ford, or GM, a Toyota testing facility! Now I’m no detective, but this all seems pretty convincing.

Photo Breakdown

Now, I know it may just look like a big blob with a tarp on it driving down the road, which it is. However, we can break down these spy photos of the 4Runner test mule a little bit to get an idea of what this vehicle will be like.

In the photo up above, we can see some attributes of the new 4th Gen Tacoma making its way to this 4Runner. I want to say that based on the wheel choice of this tester we are looking at a TRD Off-Road version. The wheels are pulled right off the new Tacoma parts shelf. Not only that, but the front wheel arch, rocker panels, and front fender seem to have some Tacoma vibes as well.

As we look at the mirrors and the A-pillar, they seem to have the same look as the new Tacoma does as well. The windshield is raked back and not as upright as the new Land Cruiser, making the rumors of the 4Runner looking like the LC to be false.

It’s hard to tell with these coverings how the rear door and C-pillar will look, but I have confidence that it will resemble a 4Runner. As we move further back, we can see some white coverings which leads me to believe we will have some super aggressive rear taillights.

As we move to the back of this 2025 4Runner, there is a lot to dissect. The way this rear end looks, really has me thinking that the rear roll-down window is here to stay. We can see a rear-mounted spoiler along with some aggressive D-pillar siding that resembles the 5th Gen.

There is a red bar that goes across the rear end as well which I feel is a reflector within the camo to throw us off a little bit. I know that manufacturers add additional moldings to these test mules to try and stump journalists so they can’t see what the final design is before the official reveal. I don’t see the 4R having this detail, that is more of a Lexus characteristic.

As we move down in the photo we can see our exhaust on the left, along with a full-size spar and tow hitch receiver. The rear quarter panels also have a nice angle to them like the current 5th Gen has to allow for a good approach and departure angle while off-road.

What did I miss? Let us know in the comments what you see.

When Will It Be Revealed?

It was around this time last year when we started seeing more finished test mules of the new Tacoma driving around these same streets. The Tacoma was revealed to us later that year in May. The 4Runner could be fully revealed to us in April, May, or June at the latest based on that same logic.

Regardless, this test mule isn’t a Frankenstein of panels and parts, it’s more of a “finished” product, so I fully expect to see this vehicle unmasked this year, and not pushed to 2025 as a 2026 model.

Final Thoughts

Are you pumped that the 6th Gen 4Runner is finally visible on the horizon? I am beyond excited to see what Toyota does with this new 4R, but also nervous at the same time. The 4Runner is legendary, I just really hope Toyota remembers that and doesn’t mess this one up for us enthusiasts.

Will you be trading in your trusted 5th Gen for this new and updated version? Let us know!