2014 Toyota 4Runner: First Look

By Aaron Bragman
March 5, 2015

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  • Competes with: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover LR4
  • Looks like: An angry Japanese battle robot
  • Drivetrain: 270-hp, 4.0-liter V-6, five-speed automatic transmission with locking transfer case
  • Hits dealerships: TBD

Toyota took the wraps off of the mildly updated 2014 4Runner SUV at a country music festival in California over the weekend. It added some minor touches to one of the few remaining truck-based rear-wheel-drive SUVs on the market. No crossover this, the 4Runner will be available in three styles: SR5, Limited, and the highly off-road-capable Trail model. Three drivetrains will also be available — all models share the same 270-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission, but the 4Runner will be available in rear-wheel drive, part-time 4×4 and full-time 4×4 with multimode selection depending on trim and package options.

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It had better be an amazing off-road vehicle, as the styling updates to the 4Runner are less than stellar. It wears a new front end with aggressive slats on either side of the grille and bulging headlights that define the front corners. The updates make the 4Runner look like some kind of Japanese battle robot, to put it kindly. It will certainly set the 4Runner apart from its more elegantly designed main rival, the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Inside, things are nicer but still industrial in form, a sharp contrast to the surprisingly luxurious update the Grand Cherokee received for 2013. The Limited trim can be optioned up as a luxury SUV, however, with features such as a 15-speaker JBL premium audio system, 20-inch wheels and a third-row fold-flat seat.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

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Detroit Bureau Chief
Aaron Bragman

Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman has had over 25 years of experience in the auto industry as a journalist, analyst, purchasing agent and program manager. Bragman grew up around his father’s classic Triumph sports cars (which were all sold and gone when he turned 16, much to his frustration) and comes from a Detroit family where cars put food on tables as much as smiles on faces. Today, he’s a member of the Automotive Press Association and the Midwest Automotive Media Association. His pronouns are he/him, but his adjectives are fat/sassy.

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