The rugged 2021 Toyota 4Runner has arrived. For the new model year it gets a new special edition trim and various enhancements to its TRD line without much of a price increase.
Starting at $36,340 (just $220 more than the 2020 model), the new 4Runner comes with a standard 8-inch touch screen with connected navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility (notable for being added only last year because of Toyota’s privacy concerns over the software), the Toyota Safety Sense-P suite of active safety features, LED headlamps and fog lamps, and legendary off-road capability.
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The 4Runner is, through and through, a machine designed to go where roads do not, and for that reason its TRD models are likely to be of the greatest interest among potential buyers. All TRD models feature 2.5-inch Fox shocks, water-resistant seat fabric, a locking rear differential, multi-terrain selection with crawl control, and of course, four-wheel drive.
For 2021, Toyota says it retuned the shocks to improve front lift, further enhancing the 4Runner’s ability to tackle trails. It also worked on their damping performance, so your head doesn’t hit the roof while working your way over especially demanding off-road terrain (not that it was going to — the point is, the 4Runner is more comfortable).
New for the model year is the 4Runner Trail, a special edition model that focuses on convenience and extra storage. Offered in all the usual colors (that would be white, black, and gray), it will also be offered in green and feature black exterior badging and seating. More notably, it gets a Yakima LoadWarrior rooftop cargo basket and, inside, a sliding cargo tray and 40-quart cooler.
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Toyota is quite proud of said cooler, stating it was custom-made for the United States market. It features a lockable lid, heavy-duty latches with integrated bottle openers, tie-down straps, and special brackets to help secure it, and a freezer-grade gasket. Toyota says the seal is tight enough to keep ice frozen for up to seven days, and the automaker conveniently made the top flat to allow you to sit on the cooler, or use it as a table.
Finally, the 2021 Toyota 4Runner is offered with a new “Lunar Rock” exterior color, which, as far as we can tell, is just gray with perhaps a tinge of green. If that strikes your fancy, it’ll set you back at least $50,470, as Lunar Rock is offered only on the trim-topping TRD Pro model.
If that’s simply too much and you can live without a moon-colored 4Runner, there are a total of 14 different trim levels in the range — essentially ensuring there is one model at every $1,000 increment — so finding one that fits your budget shouldn’t be too much trouble.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.