New Toyota 4Runner unveiled in the US—is there a place for it in the Philippines?

The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size SUV built for the American market. Historically, the 4Runner was built as a compact SUV based on the Toyota Hilux’s underpinnings.  As for its targeted market, the 4Runner was sold in North and South America slotting below the Land Cruiser and the luxury Sequoia. 

Now, the reason why we’re talking about the 4Runner is because Toyota has officially launched the sixth generation 4Runner in North America, ending the 15-year run of the fifth generation N280 4Runner.

Derived from the all-new Tacoma pickup truck, the 2025 4Runner adopts the TNGA-F truck platform. The new SUV swaps out the antiquated 4.0-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission for a modern turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This new powerplant delivers a robust 278 hp and an impressive 512 Nm of torque, marking an increase of eight horsepower compared to the existing 4Runner and a substantial leap of 135 Nm.

In addition, Toyota introduced a new I-Force Max hybrid variant of the identical engine that produces 326 hp and 577 Nm of torque. Both powertrains receive an eight-speed automatic replacing the five-speed automatic antique in the old 4Runner.

All that is well and good but sadly, the 4Runner was never sold here in the Philippines because we already had the Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser, and Fortuner to fill Toyota’s SUV offerings. With that said, hoping for the 4Runner to come to the Philippines is a shot in the dark, unless, you have deep pockets and won’t mind paying to get one imported. 

Don’t be too sad that the 4Runner won’t be making it to our shores officially because the Land Cruiser Prado J250 is the off-road candidate Toyota will offer for the ASEAN market.  Similar to the 4Runner, the J250 Land Cruiser is equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and it also offers a hybrid variant of this powertrain as well. Unlike the 4Runner though, the J250 Land Cruiser is also offered with the mighty 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV diesel engine we find in the Fortuner here in the country.

It seems then that whichever SUV the Philippines gets, we will still get a rugged off-road capable SUV. Hopefully, the J250 Land Cruiser’s local launch is on the horizon.

If news of the new 4Runner has got you interested in a new Toyota, check out Toyota’s full lineup of vehicles in the Philippines on AutoDeal.com.ph. You can even get started on your car-buying journey by clicking the “Get Quote” button.