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The 2015 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is an insanely capable off-road version of the already established 4Runner.
The 2015 Toyota 4Runner has been a champion go-anywhere off-road vehicle, and with the TRD Pro trim, Toyota takes it a notch further. It has dedicated off-roading abilities straight from the factory, backed by the bulletproof reliability of Toyota. The Toyota 4Runner received a significant facelift in the 2015 model year, the TRD Pro trim, which featured a lot of new tech and an off-road-oriented setup.
Since 1984, the Toyota 4Runner has been cruising along the American landscape and taking their owners in any direction that they are brave enough to point their steering wheel. The 4Runner has always been a stylish, rugged machine that has evolved into a grand embodiment of off-road, high-tech mastery, and to top it all up, the resale value of the Toyota 4Runner has been high all these years.
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Midway through 1984, the Toyota 4Runner was unveiled to the public to bring together the ruggedness of a pickup truck and combine an SUV's practicality. It had a fiberglass canopy with four-wheel drive and a solid front axle, and to crown all these things, it had the indestructible inline four-engine, which was a workhorse. A year later, when the 4Runner was updated with fuel injection that took the power figures up to 116HP, the 4Runner was never a fast vehicle, and being fast was never its USP. The 4Runner could practically ride rocks, snow, rain, wind, or sand anywhere.
Toyota made changes to the 4Runner and kept updating them for years to come. The turbocharged it offered a V6 and even a V8 to max out the already mad capabilities of the vehicle. In 2015, the 4Runner was introduced with a new trim called the TRD pro. The TRD here stands for ‘Toyota Racing Department,’ which means the best Toyota engineers have worked for, creating the best that they can.
The 2015 TRD Pro 4Runner had its front and rear redesigned entirely. The bumpers at the front and back were different, which resulted in better approach and departure angles over the standard 4Runner. The head and tail lamps have been given a dark style with FJ40-inspired ‘Toyota’ lettering and a matching lower bumper insert. The vehicle's front end also looked very aggressive, especially in the red color. At the side, the 4Runner follows a very traditional SUV-like design language. The vehicle is body-on-frame, which explains its insane off-roading abilities. The design is a bit quirky at the back, especially how the tailgate opens, as most traditional SUVs have a side-opening tailgate. The 4Runner opens upwards. Also, what is worth noting is that the rear windshield can retract and go all the way down.
The 2015 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro came with a 4.0 Liter V6 engine that produced 270 HP at 5,600 RPM and 278 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 RPM. It had a 5-speed automatic transmission and could switch between 2WD and 4WD at the flick of a switch on the interior. Primarily, the engine sends power to the rear wheels. The engine is also coupled with two differentials which help the 4Runner in Off-road situations by splitting power between the front and rear wheels, automatically spending on which wheel has better traction. The 4Runner returns a fuel efficiency of 17MPG in the city and 21MPG on the highway.
The interior of the 4Runner also has a lot of modern-day techs. That is impressive considering that the vehicle was launched in 2015. There is soft-touch material, and the seats are made of fabric. There is a height-adjustable seatbelt on offer, which was a luxury to have back in the day. The quirky thing about the interior is that the off-road controls' buttons are mounted high on the ceiling. All controls like downhill descend control, differential lock, switching between 4WD and 2WD are all placed here.
Other comforts on offer are single-zone climate control, a touch screen infotainment system, and loads of storage space that check all the boxes for a true SUV. The instrument cluster is fairly basic, with four pods for speed, RPM, fuel level, and oil temperature. The steering wheel has a perfect grip and features cruise control too.
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When the 4Runner TRD Pro was first launched, it was an instant hit as it was very aggressively priced at around $40,000. This was a great price considering how capable the 4Runner was and remained to date. The engine in the 4Runner could easily run for up to 200,000 miles without breaking a sweat and still keep going strong. In today’s time, one can find a 2015 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro around the $30,000 mark depending on the vehicle's condition. What is impressive is how the vehicle has still held its insane value even after seven years. What makes the value of this cargo even higher is that only 3400 4Runner TRD Pros were made in 2015, making it a hot commodity for an off-road enthusiast.
A silent soul who dares to dream, Vrushali Padia is passionate about writing ever since her college days and has written in diverse niches. She is now an Electronics Engineer and a Writer. When she is not writing, she's exploring.