6th Gen is coming...

Happy New Year to all 4Runner fans!!.
I was just reading some news inJapan, and several websites are talking about possible 6th gen. Toyota Japan suspended sales of 4Runner (“hilux surf” in Japan) after 4%th gen in late 2009. Sites also indicates resuming sales of 6th gen in Japan.... One site is even saying possible 6th gen in as early as 2022.... I will keep my eyes and ears open any update in Japan.

 

Sorry, that what they mean. Will be sold in 2022. US we will call it 2023 version.

 

Not really a question of if but when the new 4runner will come out. I guess it will be released soon and be sold by 2022. The Land Cruiser wont be sold in the US in 2022 too.

 

Yep, LC is dead in the US after 2021. 4Runner should be released late 2022 as a 2023 model which means 1 more year of the 5th Gen. Wonder what the pro color will be for 2022?

 

The 6th gen 4Runner will be powered by a turbo 3 cylinder from BMW combined with a Prius hybrid drive, use a CVT from Subaru, and be built on the unibody platform of the Nissan Pathfinder. And it will look like a dork.

 

It will probably be competing with the bronco and newer engine jeep is offering.

what I would like to speculate: more powerful engine (waiting to see what the new tundra will have) and even more off road capabilities. The rav4 and Highlander already fill a lot of voids so I don’t see them pulling the capabilities back of the 4runner.

 

That 6.4L V8 in the wrangler sounds pretty fun

 

no joke! If that had been out when I got my 4runner, I hate to say it, but I might have gotten one

 

I understand that there is strong possibility of hybrid, but have not heard anything about powerful engine....
wrangler 392 is the most powerful competitor now...

 

it’ll be rad.

 

and you would have been to the dealer for maintenance already too.

 

These threads always seem to turn into a 6th gen wishlist, which then turns into a comparison between the Jeep and the Bronco. Let's be honest here......Toyota doesn't really care about the competition and trying to match/outdo horsepower/torque numbers. Toyota leans largely on reliability over performance.

I'm guessing there will be 2 options in the 6th gen...... a 4cyl turbo and a hybrid.

The hybrid will have the better hp numbers out of the two, but the turbo 4 will rely on some weight savings to squeak out some better performance than the 5th gen.

If they do go with a NA option, it'll probably be the 3.5L, which combined with some weight saving will be adequate on paper, but leave a lot of people wanting more.........just like the 4.0L today.

People will continue to threaten leaving Toyota to go to Jeep/Ford. The people who do will like it for a while and then realize they bought a POS. Those that stay will continue to complain about horsepower/torque.

Round and round we go.

 

So true. The irony here is that Toyota could easily improve the 4Runner without changes that ruin what makes them great. If they just added a robust 6 or 8 spd AT and reduced weight (engineering and more expensive materials could do that without compromising strength) we’d get better acceleration AND MPG without ditching the bulletproof engine etc.

But of course they won’t. They’ll go hybrid and thereby add a bunch of complexity.

 

Noooooooo!!!!!!

I would love to see this as well. Leave the Highlander for city driving, and make the 4runner even more badass. I would be super happy to see a 4runner with 33's from factory and a pinch more ground clearance.

True! They definitely aren't going to make it fast. I actually like the Hybrid idea, although a turbo option would be pretty neat.

 

I'd like to add that there's hardly anything wrong with a motor putting out 270 HP and 280 lbs of torque. Those are perfectly reasonable numbers. In real world testing, Car and Driver measured a 7.7 second 0-60 time. I've seen other tests produce similar numbers. That's hardly slow, especially for a vehicle that's designed to do what this vehicle is designed to do. There are plenty of crossovers that get similar 0-60 times. Including smaller ones. Some are in the 8s.

The fact that the Runner has sufficient power is illustrated by how happy people are when they add a pedal commander. That device isn't increasing power one iota, it's just reducing the distance you have to push down the accelerator pedal. When most people talk about the Runner being slow, they seem to be reacting to the engineering decision Toyota made to have an accelerator that is very easy to modulate. Really, I don't get why this bothers people. You'd think that would be considered a plus for an off-road-capable vehicle where you want incremental application of the throttle.

Generally speaking, if you want a vehicle of similar size and capability that's considerably faster, you're gonna have to spend a ton more.

MPG is where the Runner fails to match other vehicles of similar size and capability in its price range. This is the downside of a proven, old-school drivetrain without gimmicks like cylinder deactivation, auto start-stop, or complexities like direct injection, turbos or hybrid systems. But as mentioned in my original post, you could improve the MPG AND improve acceleration simply by adding gears to the tranny and reducing weight. Less weight would also reduce braking distances (not that they're horrible now, at 194 feet from 70 MPH as measured by C&D).

I'd gladly buy a Runner with no changes but a better tranny and less weight. If it was already hybrid or turbo'd etc etc in 2020, I would have bought something else instead.

 

Lots of good stuff in this post!

I totally agree that the motor makes plenty of power, and a transmission with more gears might help with acceleration and economy.

 

The next engines in the 4runner will either be hybrid or turbo. If they decrease the number of cylinders they will add a turbo to better performance, and if they keep it a v6 they will add a hybrid to decrease fuel consumption. Toyota wont and can't compete with the Jeep 392 because they don't have an engine that can compete with it.

The 3UR-FE that currently powers the Tundra, Land Cruiser, and some Lexus is getting a little long in the tooth, and I don't see it lasting much longer. The 3UR-FE is Toyota's last V8 sold in the US that I'm aware of (might be wrong). The next Tundra will have a v6. If you like the idea of a 392 v8 in a Wrangler, you probably wont be happy with v6, and Toyota appears to be moving away from putting v8 engines in SUV and pickups.

I predict the next 4runner gets an automatic transmission only. It likely will upgrade from a 6 speed auto transmission. I wont be surprised if it has a panoramic sunroof, it would be a great homage to the first gen 4runner where you could remove the roof (and it would be consistent with the panoramic sunroof found in the new Venza). The interior NEEDS to be updated, as much as I love the buttons and dials, the plastics used are not acceptable in 2021. Every mag review of the 4runner hates the interior. It will probably get a large screen.

This forum is happy to forget sometimes that Toyota sells a shitload of these as family vehicles with 2wd. While the TRD and TRD pro represent a large portion of this forum, the truth is it is a family vehicle. Gas mileage > engine type from a family buyer perspective. I don't expect Toyota to sacrifice the cars appeal to family to satisfy the demands of enthusiasts. That means no manual transmission, no removable roof, and no crazy large engine option. I expect the next engine will be more powerful, I don't expect it to accomplish this by increasing engine displacement.

 

I’m so glad it doesn’t have an auto shutoff or cylinder deactivation type system in it. I plan on keeping this truck a looooong time and I’m cool on having to deal with that stuff once it’s long in the tooth. Simple is good by me.

 

but it never hurts to supercharge it

 

How surprising....another 6th gen speculation thread.
More fuel for the fire:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JzlmDePnPE

 

I like what he says in this.

Very reasonable assumptions, IMO.

 

Am I missing something, or is he just making up all of these numbers?

I do like the idea of a hybrid, or turbo 4. I'm not worried about the new 4runner being a race car. But, fuel economy in the mid 20's would be pretty sweet!

 

Are those 15 inch rims??

 

I don't think I posted it anywhere, but I had a loose theory that they may start producing them here because averaging 100k units a year is reason enough. If the Taco is indeed going to Mexico, that is the main thing I agree with in this video. I just hope that the backlash for the 3.5 keeps them away from that power plant and transmission in it's current tuning map.
The turbo 4 with better power and mileage makes the most sense for weight savings and if they are already putting them in other vehicles. I'm sure the hybrid option is already a done deal where ever they produce them.

If they do start producing them here, would that open up other power plant options without huge import tariffs being its a domestic product?

None of this really matters to me because I doubt I will be able to afford a new one.

 

I can see a hybrid version especially in the limited form but if Toyota messes with a good platform they may alienate the customers that create the 4Runner wave to begin with
Tranny and engine definitely needs upgrades

 

The brakes are too big for anything less than 17's.

 

I wonder if the 3rd gens turning antique this year promoted a change for next year...

 

As far as the 2.4L engine size, I'm not sure where he's getting that. I assume he's taking it from the old 2.4L turbo the 4runner had at one time.....which is an assumption he shouldn't be making. I don't think Toyota will be designing a brand new engine for the 4Runner unless they share it with Tacoma (or another vehicle).

More than likely, Toyota will use an existing 4cyl Turbo like in the Supra and tweak it for 4Runner use. That one puts out 255hp and 295ft/lbs of torque. So not too far off the existing 4.0L specs.

As far as his hybrid numbers, I think he's just extrapolating from what the hybrid adds in horsepower/torque from other hybridized vehicles in their line-up.

So his 2.4L assumption is a little weird, but I think his horsepower/torque numbers are pretty reasonable.

 

Cafe standards will determine the next gen and then toyota will try to build it around customer demand, not the niche following (enthusiasts). They need to appeal to the majority, which will mean fuel economy and more tech along with as much profit/manufacturing penny pinching they can throw in there. I think reliability won't be a priority but more so an after thought.

My predictions, as mentioned the 3.5 engine or hybrid option, c channel frame opposed to the current boxed frame. Front terrain camera, blindspot monitors as well as parking monitors

 

22RE for life!!!! Bring it back! Bring it back! Bring it back!