Toyota's off-road-ready SUV has more than doubled its sales this year

Published Jul 30, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Tyler is an automotive journalist and content contributor at How-To Geek with over three years of experience covering the automotive industry. His work focuses on delivering clear, well-researched, and engaging content that helps readers better understand the vehicles they drive and the technology behind them. Before entering automotive media, he spent five years as an academic editor, developing a strong foundation in research methodology, factual accuracy, and structured analysis. This background informs his journalistic approach today, ensuring that every article balances technical insight with accessibility for a broad audience. Tyler specializes in automotive journalism, content strategy, and SEO-driven publishing, with a particular interest in performance, reliability, and the cultural role of cars. He approaches automotive writing with a distinct philosophy: vehicles should be engaging and expressive, not merely functional tools. This perspective shapes his coverage and allows readers to connect with cars beyond basic specifications. Few vehicles have managed to buck the trend in 2026, with rising prices and shifting buyer preferences making growth increasingly difficult across the industry. Yet one rugged SUV has done exactly that, posting one of the most impressive sales surges of any mainstream model this year. Its success isn't a fluke, either. A complete redesign has transformed this long-running off-roader into a far more modern package without sacrificing the durability and trail capability that built its reputation. Buyers have responded in a big way, helping it more than double its sales compared with the same period last year. In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Toyota and other authoritative sources, including the EPA. Sales of the Toyota 4Runner are skyrocketing in 2026 The new model has proven to be incredibly popular The 4Runner has always been one of the go-to vehicles for off-road enthusiasts, with its strong reputation for reliability and its focus on mechanical prowess. For the 2025 model year, it got a much-needed update that thrust it into the modern age, with the SUV being completely rebuilt from the ground up. Sometimes it takes time for sales momentum to build when a new generation of a vehicle hits the market, though, but 2026 is proving to be the year of the 4Runner. Toyota 4Runner sales Q2 2026 Model June 2025 (MTD) June 2026 (MTD) % Change Q2 2025 (YTD) Q2 2026 (YTD) % Change Toyota 4Runner 5,754 12,981 125.6% 30,013 72,320 141% So far, 2026 has been absolutely fantastic for the 4Runner. With quarter two now behind us, we've got a full picture of the nameplate's performance for the first half of the year. The off-road SUV has managed to more than double its sales compared to last year, selling over 40,000 more units in the first half of 2026 than it did in the first half of 2025. In fact, in this half of the year, Toyota has sold almost as many 4Runners as they did over the entirety of 2025. This momentum doesn't seem to be slowing down either, with June's figures showing the same consistent growth. It is clear that production is in full swing and demand for the SUV is incredibly high. The majority of the models sold still feature a gas-only powertrain setup, with only 21,456 of the units sold this year being hybrids. The updated 4Runner is a large SUV that checks just about every box A trim for every kind of buyer Credit: Toyota Midsize off-road SUVs have always been exceptionally popular in America, with the likes of the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco being some of the most prominent options. The 4Runner has always been a part of the conversation, but the outgoing model was just too outdated in too many ways to compete. The new model, however, feels more modern than its competitors while sticking to the ideology of simple capability that made it so popular in the first place. A trim lineup with a ton of options Model Starting MSRP SR5 $40,775 TRD Sport $47,250 TRD Off-Road $49,190 TRD Sport Premium $52,610 TRD Off-Road Premium $54,970 Limited $55,400 Platinum $62,860 TRD Pro $66,900 Trailhunter $66,900 Starting at just over $40,000, the 4Runner is priced competitively against other large and rugged SUVs, such as the Honda Passport and the Ford Bronco. Its trim lineup is extensive, and Toyota offers a model for just about every kind of buyer. The SR5 is a great workhorse, the TRD Sport models balance off-road capability with on-road performance, and the TRD Off-Road models are for those looking to climb treacherous terrain. Buyers with deep pockets can also opt for the luxurious Limited or Platinum trims, or the fully-kitted TRD Pro and Trailhunter, which are built to attack the outdoors straight off the dealership floor. Strong off-road performance whether you go with the hybrid or not Toyota has convinced buyers that a four-cylinder is enough Credit: Toyota When the updated model was announced, and it was revealed that the 4Runner would no longer come with a V-6 but rather a turbocharged four-cylinder, there was some uproar. Many fans of the rugged SUV weren't convinced that a turbocharged four-cylinder would offer the same kind of performance or reliability that you'd get with the proven V-6. Toyota, however, has managed to convert quite a few of these nameplate faithfuls, though. A four-pot that outdoes the old V-6 Base Trim Engine 2.4L I-FORCE I4 ICE Base Trim Transmission 8-speed automatic Base Trim Drivetrain Rear-Wheel Drive Base Trim Horsepower 278 HP @6000 RPM Base Trim Torque 317 lb.-ft. @ 1700 RPM Make Toyota Model 4Runner Segment Midsize SUV Every 2026 4Runner comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. In most models, this engine works alone, producing 278 horsepower, which it sends through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard with four-wheel drive being optional. Some trims can be had with a hybrid setup, boosting output up to 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The Trailhunter and TRD Pro can only be had with the hybrid setup. While buyers are still taking some convincing to upgrade to the more expensive hybrid setup, it is clear by the nameplate's sales figures that they have embraced the four-cylinder engine. This wasn't an extremely difficult feat, given that the four-pot outdoes the old V-6 in just about every metric, from horsepower to efficiency. Toyota also ensures that the new engine was designed with dependability as a top priority, but only time will truly tell how well it holds up. The new 4Runner has proven its worth This year has been pretty turbulent for the automotive industry. From rising fuel prices to tariff wars, there have been headwinds just about everywhere. It is in this context that the 4Runner has emerged as somewhat of a hero for Toyota. While the brand has navigated the year pretty well so far, having a model more than double its sales in this environment is something that can only be applauded.