Let’s return to the final week of August 2009, eh? “The Remaining Vacation spot” was the highest film, “American Idol” the highest TV present, the Black Eyed Peas claimed the highest tune with “I Gotta Feeling,” and the typical gallon of gasoline price $2.43, which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says is value $3.49 right this moment. Oh, and that month, the present, fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner entered manufacturing in Japan. As colleague James Riswick alluded to, the 4Runner will probably be of authorized driving age by the point it retires. However now there is a new one not distant, lastly shut sufficient to make sense for Toyota to start the teaser marketing campaign.
On an Instagram slideshow asking followers to establish a 4Runner’s mannequin yr, the ultimate picture exhibits a part of a rear finish we have by no means seen earlier than in what appears to be a coloration much like the brand new Land Cruiser’s Heritage Blue. The variations we are able to establish for now are new, trimmer taillights, a smoother tailgate with a redrawn deal with pull and license plate space, a squared-off bumper with crimson reflectors and metallic-looking trim as a substitute of a body-color end. The 4Runner brand has been moved from the hatch pull crossbar to simply above the bumper, the “R” in 4Runner now the identical top as the next letters. Acquainted traces stay, too, akin to the essential outlines of the rear fascia that we are able to see, the horizontal indentation beneath the taillights, and the crease simply above the bumper.
As for what’s on the best way, we nonetheless solely have rumor. A thread on the 4runner6g discussion board predicts evolutionary styling with front-end appears much like the brand new Tacoma pickup, and a spread of four-cylinder engines in outputs from 228 hp to 326 hp matching the Tacoma specs — together with one with a guide transmission. Earlier scuttlebutt proposed a entrance sway bar disconnect, locking diffs entrance and/or rear, 32-inch tires from the manufacturing unit, a TrailHunter trim, and the IsoDynamic shock-absorbing seats amongst different Tacoma-sourced bits. A prototype noticed in Arizona final month rode on Tacoma wheels, and seemed prefer it had an identical rake to the entrance windshield as the brand new Tacoma, which is bigger than the present 4Runner’s windshield rake. Job 1 is anticipated to roll down the traces in July. Keep tuned.
