Toyota has launched quite a few new products as of late, ranging from the next-generation Tundra to the all-new Tacoma and – most recently – revamping the Land Cruiser for the U.S., too. That means that the Toyota 4Runner is easily one of the oldest models in its current lineup, as the current fifth-generation model debuted way back in 2009 for the 2010 model year. Regardless, the rugged SUV and Ford Bronco rival remains a hot seller for the Japanese automaker, and we’ve been expecting the arrival of an all-new model for some time now. Last week, the 2025 4Runner was officially teased for the first time, giving us a sneak peek at what to expect from the forthcoming redesign, but now, sources familiar with the matter have told Ford Authority that Toyota is also benchmarking the 2025 4Runner against the Ford Bronco Raptor, too.
Fresh off spotting Toyota benchmarking both a Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz – signaling that it may be considering a compact pickup to compete against that pair – it seems as if it’s also taking a closer look at the high-performance Ford Bronco Raptor, which makes sense for a number of reasons.
Toyota is most likely benchmarking the Ford Bronco Raptor not necessarily against the base 2025 4Runner, but rather, a more capable TRD or – more likely – TRD Pro variant. Interestingly, Ford was previously spotted benchmarking a current-gen 4Runner TRD Pro back in 2021, and a few months later, was seen testing the same model alongside a Bronco Everglades prototype on an off-road trail.
It’s also quite possible that Toyota is aiming to make the next-generation 2025 4Runner TRD Pro a more capable, higher-performing vehicle than the current model – or perhaps even come up with something that slots in the lineup above it – which makes sense given the popularity that the Ford Bronco Raptor has enjoyed since its launch for the 2022 model year. However, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out what the automaker has up its sleeve in that regard.
We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
That teaser pic looks like a mini van back end…..
Since Toyota started using cheap Chinese parts and moved manufacturing to Mexico, Toyota reliability has gotten terrible. Statistically, Toyota owners will pay triple the maintenance expense that Ford customers invest.
It’s Santa Cruz not Santa Fe.