2025 Toyota 4Runner Keeps Drop-Down Back Glass, Hybrid Power Teased
There are layers to the latest next-gen 4Runner teaser, so let’s dive in.
Another day, another 2025 Toyota 4Runner teaser. It's a solid way to start a Thursday, I admit, especially since this new photo confirms the next-gen adventure rig will retain the drop-down rear window. That's a feature we've all come to love, so it makes sense for Toyota to keep it around (not that the car company has ever been one to depart from tradition). Even still, there's more to glean from this seemingly simple photo so let's get into it.
The 4Runner might not be a removable-top wheeler like it used to be, but we off-road dorks will take what we can get. A roll-down back window gives alludes to an open-air experience without blowing everybody's hair around and exposing them to 60-mph sticks and stones. Like in recent years, it also has power up-down functionality thanks to a pair of buttons on the tailgate. Pretty nifty stuff.
Peer past where the back glass would be and you'll find a big infotainment screen. It looks like the 14-inch display that's already used in the Tundra, Sequoia, and so on. Having reviewed several trucks with that screen, I quite like it, even if it is enormous. The resolution is clear and the UX is intuitive enough for trouble-free daily use.
What you might not notice straight away is what looks to be a digital gauge cluster peeping through between the driver's seat and headrest. That's great and all, but it's likely telling of something else: A hybrid powertrain. I say that because all Tundra hybrid pickups come standard with the 12.3-inch digital dash. That means the 4Runner we see here is also a hybrid, likely a 2.4-liter turbo four as we see in the new Tacoma and Land Cruiser.
Now, it's too early to say if every 4Runner will offer the hybrid powertrain as standard. Such is the case with the Land Cruiser, which makes 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. It's possible that the 4Runner will feature a gas-only option as well to differentiate it from the Land Cruiser, and if that's the case, expect the non-electrified turbo I4 to produce 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque—still an improvement over the current 4Runner's V6 with 270 hp and 278 lb-ft.
We won't be waiting much longer to see the new 4Runner in full. The automaker shared a video to Instagram with "April 9" appearing then quickly disappearing behind the rear window. By now, we've essentially seen the entire back half. Camouflaged photos show boxy overall styling, so all that's left to the imagination is the front-end design. Less than a week and we won't have to guess anymore.
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