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Toyota’s expertise in the hybrid realm is well-documented, and properly revered. After all, the company gave us the first large-scale hybrid production vehicle in the Toyota Prius. Nowadays, the Japanese manufacturer has expanded its horizons with the Tundra, and the Tacoma, which are among the best offerings in the hybrid truck segment. We thus wish Toyota would bring its magic touch of partial electrification to the 4Runner. The latter has managed to remain popular choice ever since being re-introduced to the market in 2009. At the same time, it is now starting to lack in comparison in terms of performance, fuel efficiency and interior styling. Those who wish to see improvements in these areas are thus banking on the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, which is expected to bring a wave of new features, as well as a novel powertrain to the equation.
Publications such as MotorTrend are even bringing up a hybrid setup, which is what brings us here today. More than just an option, this new configuration would be a welcome breath of fresh air for the veteran off-roader, which might need to expand its horizons if it wishes to carry on for years to come as a crowd-favorite. In case you hadn’t noticed, hybrid off-roaders have become “à la mode” recently. Ford, for instance, is planning to unleash PHEV variants of the Ranger. This is far from being a coincidence, but rather due to the fact that, in today’s automotive industry, hybrids are the ideal in-between for terrain-defying vehicles.
The information in this article has been compiled from a number of reputed sources, including Motor Trend, Consumer Reports, Car And Driver, and Toyota
Hybrid Powertrains Are Tailor-Made For Off-Roaders
As we’ve pointed out time and time again, electric off-roading just doesn’t cut it yet. Sure, your electric off-roader might accelerate like an old-school Japanese sports car, but how long and how far can it tow before you need to charge it. Consumer Reports has already demonstrated how the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning (The two most efficient EVs in their category, mind you) end up losing one-third of their initial range when strapped to a 10,000-pound trailer. Aside from this big caveat, we also know that lithium-ion batteries tend to deplete faster under extreme temperatures. When you combine all these cons together, it becomes crystal clear that an internal combustion engine would be better suited for your escapades in challenging terrains.
Yet what if there was an optimal solution in between? That is where the hybrid 4Runner comes into play. Sure, a hybrid powertrain would still affect the towing capacity, but not as significantly. On the other hand, it would greatly reduce fuel costs, and considerably improve performance.
As a frame of reference, the hybrid system on the Tundra adds nearly 50 horsepower and almost 100 pound-feet of torque to the overall specs. The latter doesn’t compromise in terms of practicality either and still offers a decent 11,500 pounds combined with 20/24/22 MPG city/highway/combined mileage. We can thus reasonably expect Toyota to do a similarly good job on a mid-size SUV such as the 4Runner. These improvements would not only be immensely helpful, but greatly welcomed as well. The current generation leaves a lot to be desired in terms of efficiency, with 19 mpg on the highway. This puts it behind the Jeep Wrangler in terms of fuel economy, and way below the hybrid options, which are now considered direct alternatives.
Furthermore, the five-speed automatic transmission is only half of what the Ford Bronco offers. On top of fixing these issues, the hybrid setup would also contribute to a quieter ride, and help the 4Runner prolong its longevity amid the impending bans and restrictions on gas-powered vehicles.
We obviously can’t hide our excitement over the 2025 Toyota 4Runner. We’ve even gone as far as to release our own 3D rendering of the upcoming model. And, while Toyota has been stingy with releasing official information, the internet community has been generous in its anticipation. Motor Trend, for instance, is placing a potential all-electric 4Runner within the realm of possibilities, which is admittedly an interesting prospect, all things considered. This hype and speculation is not arbitrary, but instead due to the fact that the 2025 Toyota 4Runner marks the introduction of the car’s sixth-generation.
2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Performance Specifications
Engine
4.0-liter V-6
Horsepower
270 horses
Torque
278 pound-feet
0-60 mph
7.7 seconds
Top Speed
113 mph
Transmission
Five-speed automatic
Driveline
4×4
Towing Capacity
5,000 pounds
(Sourced from Toyota)
The way the company decides to address will likely dictate the SUV’s future. It is unclear at the moment if the new generation will be priced differently. The 2023 4Runner starts at $40,155 with the SR5 variant, while the top-of-the-line TRD Pro starts at 54,620. We doubt the company would get any complaints from customers if it stuck to these figures for the next generation. Either way, a fair bit of fine-tuning imposes itself if the 2025 4Runner is to compete with the likes of the Jeep Wrangler, and the Ford Bronco. Rivals within the hybrid realm would further include the Ford Explorer Hybrid, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, and the Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid.
The 2025 4Runner Hybrid Is Expected To Be A Game-Changer
TopSpeed
The transmission has notably been a subject of discussion regarding the next generation of the 4Runner. For starters, a manual transmission is fairly possible, and would depend on the perceived demand. In any case, there’s no reason why the company shouldn’t give us an upgrade over the current five-speed configuration.
The hybrid option is all the more reasonable to expect when you factor in how Toyota has previously vowed to offer a hybrid variation for every vehicle by 2025. Other upgrades that we can reasonably wish for, but not confirm, include the cabin styling, which is not aging the best, to say the least. The current generation offers an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, but there’s really nothing stopping Toyota from upgrading it to the Tundra’s 14-inch display, or even the 12.3-inch screen found on the Toyota Crown. The overrall esthetics should also be revisited, in order to give the 2025 4Runner a more modern appeal. If so, then gone would be the unnecessary clutter, and the outdated, rough-looking center screen surrounded by an army of buttons
2023 Toyota 4Runner Dimensions
Height
72.0 inches
Width
75.8 inches
Length
191.3 inches
Wheelbase
109.8 inches
Ground Clearance
9.6 inches
Curb Weight
4750 pounds
(Data sourced from Toyota)
The Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 definitely needs to be at the rendezvous as well. The latest update includes a couple of novelties, such as Road Sign Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Proactive Driving Assist. Other features include:
Rearview Camera Image May Not Display Properly on Certain Mazda3 and CX-3 Vehicles
Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about a safety defect in certain Mazda3 and CX-3 vehicles from model years 2014 to 2018 for Mazda3 and 2016 to 2021 for CX-3.
The issue involves the rearview camera wiring harness, which may get damaged from vibrations during normal vehicle operation or when closing the liftgate due to an improperly designed harness fastener. As a result, the connector pins wear out and create high electrical resistance. This can lead to a distorted or flickering image on the rearview camera when reversing, potentially affecting the driver’s judgment and increasing the risk of a crash.
There are no warning signs prior to the occurrence of this defect, and there have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to this issue.
A total of 227,335 vehicles are affected in the United States:
2014-2018 Mazda3 5-door hatchback – 141,491 units
2016-2021 CX-3 – 85,844 units
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail. For the latest updates, please visit mazdarecallinfo.com or nhtsa.gov.
Mazda North American Operations, based in Irvine, California, is responsible for sales, marketing, parts, and customer service support for Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, and Mexico through approximately 780 dealerships. Mazda Canada Inc. manages operations in Canada, while Mazda Motor de Mexico oversees operations in Mexico. Mazda de Colombia handles operations in Colombia.
For more information, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.
Stay updated with MNAO on Twitter and Instagram (@MazdaUSA) as well as on Facebook (Facebook.com/MazdaUSA).
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