Well, I didn’t expect us to see this new 4Runner for the first time this way. These photos leaked onto Instagram via Team4Runner and they apparently came from the National Toyota Dealer Convention. With these pictures, we finally get our first look at the all-new TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, Platinum, and new colors showcased.
This is our first time seeing multiple trims of the new 4R since it was revealed back in April of this year.
I was supposed to be driving this vehicle this week in Arizona, but Toyota had to cancel the event due to a lack of inventory. That being said, these are probably the only 6th Gens on US soil at the moment. No SR5 yet… hopefully soon!
Let’s break these photos down.
Table Of Contents
TRD Off-Road
YES!!! Who’s getting one??? It’s no surprise that this looks very similar to the Tacoma platform, however, it doesn’t copy exactly everything though – which is nice. This is also our first look at what Celestial Silver Metallic looks like on this new vehicle. Dealers were also able to get a look at the new off-road interior, which seems to support some different materials than the Tacoma has. The seats look to have the same sort of tweed material, the same kinda looks that we see in the Land Cruiser 1958. The LC cloth seats are thick and durable, so this is a welcomed sight to see.
The reason the 4R uses different materials than the new Tacoma is because the new one is still built in Japan and Toyota sources its materials from Asia rather than the Tacoma which sources its materials from North America.
Aside from that, we also see the new TRD emblem on the C-pillar which I’m not sure what I think about it, but I would like to see it in person. I wish that the Off-Road portion of this logo was a little bit more offset like it is on the current generation.
We also see the back cargo area with no hybrid battery in the photo above and it seems like we have a good amount of space. I’m curious if Toyota will bring the cargo sliding tray to this generation, which is a pretty awesome feature to have.
TRD Sport
This model comes to us in the Wind Chill Pearl color, and it seems to be sporting some bigger 20-inch TRD wheels. This TRD Sport also seems to be a premium grade because of the black Softex seats shown.
The Sport will also have the same hood vent that the Tacoma and TRD Pro have. It also seems like this vehicle is a bit more color-matched than the OR which has more black accents and darker plastics. I’m curious how this vehicle will drive compared to the other models, but it seems to have a more sporty appearance.
Limited
Carrying over from the last generation, we get the limited package. Color matched, larger wheels, a different grille, 3rd row seats (see more below), likely full time 4WD on the hybrid, and what looks like power steps – I’m sure there is more inside. We’ll report as we can.
New Platinum Trim
I was curious how this one would look and honestly, I think it looks pretty good. It has bigger black wheels, black accents, upfront, darker, chrome, grille, and a standard hybrid powertrain with AWD. Also, this is our first time seeing Underground on the new 4Runner and it looks AWESOME!
We also get a look at the inside and get to see the premium seats which seem to have a bit of a blue hue to them with some stamped higher-end leather material. The center console also looks different and a bit more luxurious than the other models. I am curious as to how many other features this Platinum grade will have compared to a fully loaded 4Runner Limited and also what the price difference will be between the two.
First Time Seeing 3rd Row Seats
The third-row seat lives on in this new generation and like the previous model, it obviously doesn’t have that much room. This one was shown to us on the Limited grade in Supersonic Red and it seems like this has kind of a brown leather interior.
I tried to lighten up the interior photo for you guys and I don’t think that adults will fit comfortably back there.
This will only be for models with a non-hybrid powertrain. Toyota hasn’t told us yet if it will be available in the SR5 like it was in the past or if this will only be on Limited platforms. It would be cool to see a TRD Off-Road with a third-row seat because I know that is something that people have been wanting out of the last gen for a while.
Final Thoughts
Toyota also showcased this TRD Pro in Ice Cap which I think looks really good. The white and black is such a classic combination and it may be the one to get if you decide to go for the Pro trim. I hope to be driving these vehicles in the near future for you guys. I will keep you updated whenever that time happens and give you guys my driving impressions along with pricing information when Toyota releases it.
Are you guys excited for this new 4Runner? Did it meet your expectations for the models that we hadn’t seen yet? Let us know down in the comments below.
Toyota did some good things with these but they have a lot of proving to do when you consider the new Tundra engine drama! Let’s not forget Toyota didn’t exactly handle the Tundra engine recall in good faith when they exempted the Hybrid owners (Buyers that paid the most). That said, they could have been less generous so good on them for the most part. I’ll consider buying a 6G4R when I’ve seen one pass 200K miles with service records to prove getting there didn’t cost more than a few thousand when calculated minus brakes, tires and mods.
For sure! The reason for the hybrids not being in the recall is because the hybrid generator will still work to get the truck off the road “safely” whereas when the other trucks fail, they have no secondary mode of driving to safely maneuver. That being said though, Toyota will still fix every Tundra issue with the engine because of this, even out of warranty I was told. We will see if that holds true.
It will, the last engine failure…..the 3.slow from the 2nd gen 4Runner had head gasket issues, and as far as I know……..Toyota will still to this day fix any of the 3.slow head gaskets that fail!!!! We Aren’t chevy/gm, ford or dodge……Toyota has a reputation to uphold and they do whatever it takes to fix any issues!!! Thus why they’re replacing 100,000 2022-2023 gas V6’s!!! That’s going to cost a Shltload of $$$$$ Lets say each engine w/labor is lets say $20k……that’s a cool $2 billion that Toyota is going to cough up!!!! Lets see if Any of those other car companies do anything even remotely close to what Toyota does!!!!
Turbos aside, I lost my unwaivering faith in Toyota when they couldn’t make my gf’s RAV4 drive straight. I coached her through submitting a request for a specialist to drive it and the only thing special that resulted was Toyota Corp intimidating her over the phone and cancelling her help ticket. She just lives with the problem now and I refuse to drive it because of the sway and wander. Toyota WAS known for quality but in my book they’re going through an identity crisis and it’s still up in the air how they’ll come out the other side!
If Toyota had put more of a Sequoia front-end design on the new 4Runner, it would not have been so bad. But that lower grille fake bash bar just looks dumb. If it was made out of steel and was an actual bash bar or brush guard, it would make more sense. But it looks like someone punched it and it has a swollen lip. The Sequoia grille design would have been much better since to me the 4Runner now looks like a smaller Sequoia overall.
And everyone complaining about the 4-cyl…. did y’all not complain for the last 15 years that it didn’t get good MPGs? Yes the V6 was bulletproof, and I agree, they should have kept a V6 in it. But you are not going to get the gas mileage you want from a V6. This coming from a guy who will not let up from having a V8 that just went from a 1500 truck to a 2500 HD gasser. But have thought about getting the new 4Runner for better gas millage. What would have been cool, since Toyota now has BMW connections, put the BMW X5 3.0-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder with Hyrbid system in the new 4Runner.
Completely agree with the front end. I was really hoping for something better too. Kinda reminds me of the 5th Gen 4R prior to the refresh. It was kinda meh and then in 2014 it had its “glow up”
People wanted fangs on the front LOL! 2014+ definitely has an edgier look and has more supporting mods. In 15-20 years I think we’ll look back and mostly agree the 5G was the best of them. I have an early 5th Gen and about half the comments I hear sound like “Hey, Nice 4th Gen!”. No point in correcting them as it’s still the best truck I’ve ever owned and so far it’s always driven home after doing something foolhardy at the dunes.
The BMW N55 in a 6G4R would have been a game changer. It’s one of the few turbocharged engines to impress me in recent years. Imagine all that bulletproof climbing torque we could have had!!!
Right? That motor is already in the Toyota Supra from the BMW Z4, so why not put the BMW X5 Hyrbid system into the Toyota SUV lineup?
I feel like Toyota wasn’t willing to share the spotlight again on a cult following favorite and as good as the new Supra truly is, it’s taken it’s share of criticism for not being Japanese underneath. Especially by the loyal 2JZ crowd. I will say this new 6G4R makes some good noises through the snorkel, so that’s encouraging!
Not thrilled w the new engine
Hopefully, there will be inventory for people to test drive in the future. It’s a 4 banger but it definitely drives very well (assuming it’s the same as the new Taco and LC).
Scary, isn’t it!
RIP 4runner
lol
Mr. Greg is unhappy with the new Toyotas. And everyone as a whole, I guess. Can you tell? Lol.
Don’t like the 2tone seats. It looks cheap
Yea black cloth is the way to go. Not a fan of the boulder interior
Konrad, You made a couple of grammatical errors in your write up, but still gets the point across.
And to Shelby, there’s two powertrains just like the Tacoma, Tundra and even the 4th gen 4Runner. Sure wish they would have brought back the V8 though!!!
Did you intend for the word “there’s “ to be plural or is that a contraction? Neither one seems to work, I don’t see how it is plural and a non contraction “there is” doesn’t seem to work either. Should it not read “there are” two powertrains since “powertrains in plural?
Oh damn, I missed that one! Oh well, not my article.
Fixed! Thanks for the heads up.
No worries.
Hey Robert! Where at so we can fix them? We double check everything multiple times and the team has Grammarly installed, but something could have totally slipped through the cracks. Thanks!
Most people probably missed them, but where you talked about the TRD Off Road badge location…….you put in Sea Pillar!!! Lol!!! Obviously, it has nothing to do with the sea…….but it is C…….as in A, B, C, D Pillars! LOL!
The other one is spelling out 4Runner as Forerunner!! Which I guess is still somewhat correct, but not really! Just stupid shlt that I pick up on. My bad……
Proofreading is a lost art
Take it easy, Greg… LOL. We have a lot of eyes on this stuff, but this one was pushed through a little faster than normal since the information was fresh. We’re also human too! Haha. I’ve personally read more than 2 million words on the sites over the last 4-5 years. We usually catch most of them.
3rd row seating does not mesh with the added off-road capability’s of the TRD Offroad. ie two different markets.
True, but some still hoped for the 5th Gen it was an option. So maybe Toyota will let us have that with this one.
Personally, I find them on par with the gen 4s as far as asthetics. Has that awkward teen-phase look going on.
Yea the “even” gen 4Runners always seem to be the ugly step child haha.
Looks like an oversized crossover
Aren’t they all hybrids now? Batteries and motors? No more v6? Bummer.
Not all of them are Hybrids. The 3rd-row options cannot be a hybrid because the 3rd-row seat goes where the battery would be, but you can get a 2-row non-hybrid too. The battery takes up about 4-6 inches of vertical cargo space but it also helps to have a flatter floor when the 2nd-row is folded down. They all come with the 2.4L 4-cyl the Tacoma and Land Cruser have as a hybrid or non-hybrid.
Thanks Josh!!!
I dig it! OR is the way to go… but I do like them all. Platinum looks cool, but expensive. But they’re all going to be up there, I’m sure.
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Lol I’m the main editor the site… Why are you hating so much? Sorry for adding my two cents. Not!
Yea, Konrad! Share that Toyota money with us! Come on lol.
Yup. Paid by Toyota. Like they need me to comment on their content across the web haha. As if all the negative comments and reactions aren’t driving it enough already…